Charlotte-Mecklenburg police continued their search Friday for a 23-year-old woman who has been missing since being seen early Wednesday morning at a restaurant in Plaza Midwood.

Investigators returned Friday morning to the Arboretum-area apartment complex where Valerie Hamilton, daughter of Concord police Chief Merl Hamilton, lives. They had searched the same complex Thursday.

Police also released a description of a man who was seen with Hamilton early Wednesday at the Thomas Street Tavern.

“Charlotte-Mecklenburg police have been doing a fabulous job,” Merl Hamilton said at midday Friday. He declined to elaborate on what investigators had told him, but one officer told WCNC-TV, the Observer’s news partner, police had developed leads that caused them to be more concerned about Valerie Hamilton’s well-being.

She was seen at Thomas Street Tavern, on Thomas Avenue at Central Avenue, between 12:30 and 1:30 a.m. Wednesday. Her vehicle was found in the restaurant parking lot.

Family members, friends and employers have not heard from her since.

Hamilton is attending CPCC in hopes of becoming a teacher and works at a Charlotte restaurant.

Police say Hamilton is 5 feet 3 and 125 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes. Police also say she has a distinctive tattoo on the back of her neck – three stars in a horizontal design.

By checking video surveillance cameras at the restaurant, police were able to provide a description of the man who was with Hamilton. They say he was a light-skinned white male. His hair was short and dark, with some white in it. He was clean-shaven, about 5 feet 10 and 165 pounds. He was wearing jeans and a T-shirt and did not have any visible tattoos or earrings.

He was in his mid to late 30s with no facial hair.

Anyone with information in the case is asked to call 911 or contact a CMPD detective, 704-432-TIPS. Or information can be left with Crime Stoppers, 704-334-1600.

"A manager at Thomas Street Tavern Friday morning told WBTV.com Hamilton's car was still in the parking lot after she vanished. The manager said her purse and identification were left in the vehicle."

"A security camera is pointed at the lot where Hamilton's car was found. Video from the camera has been turned over to police, the manager said. Police have also obtained purchase receipts from the bar at the time Hamilton was there."

http://www.wbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13170090

panthera

09-17-2010, 03:40 PM

Police search for chief's missing daughter

Updated today at 2:30 PM

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers are canvassing a south Charlotte apartment complex, looking for clues into a local woman’s disappearance.

Valerie Hamilton, the daughter of Concord Police Chief Merl Hamilton, has been missing since Wednesday.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police started investigating the disappearance Thursday, as a missing persons case.
On Friday an officer involved with the search said investigators developed some leads overnight that lead to a "greater concern for her safety."

more at http://www.wcnc.com/news/Police-searching-for-daughter-of-Concord-Police-Chief-103118009.html

um how far is there from where Ashley Rose Hansen went missing?
Ashley Rose is from Andrews, missing from Murphy, which are both about 200+ miles west of Charlotte, closer to Tennessee.

panthera

09-17-2010, 07:57 PM

"Police said they are unsure if Hamilton knew the man. Friends who were at the bar with Hamilton said it appeared that she knew the man, but said they were not familiar with him."

"On Friday, investigators began searching the area around Hamilton’s apartment complex, including a nearby wooded area. Police said they have reason to believe Hamilton went to her apartment after leaving the tavern. They didn't find any signs of foul play inside, they said, but are still deeply concerned."

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/25045689/detail.html

dreamweaver

09-17-2010, 08:33 PM

"A manager at Thomas Street Tavern Friday morning told WBTV.com Hamilton's car was still in the parking lot after she vanished. The manager said her purse and identification were left in the vehicle."

"A security camera is pointed at the lot where Hamilton's car was found. Video from the camera has been turned over to police, the manager said. Police have also obtained purchase receipts from the bar at the time Hamilton was there."

http://www.wbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13170090

Glad the police have the security camera footage. Maybe it will show the person who Valerie spent time with that evening. Maybe they will show his pic on the local media?

BrowneyedEmily

09-17-2010, 10:29 PM

She worked at a Hooters, apparently, so maybe a regular customer?

Also, not too far from where Kyle Fleischmann went missing, though I know they are different circumstances...

Kimberlyd125

09-17-2010, 10:40 PM

She is a beautiful girl.

On her myspace, she lists her occupation as preschool teacher.

MBLover

09-17-2010, 10:47 PM

I hope LE is showing the vids/pics to the other employees at Hooter's...I bet this is a regular customer there...with the white in his hair...I'd almost bet he's older than mid 30's.

I hope they find her safe and sound soon!

jcamille

09-17-2010, 10:53 PM

I live in Charlotte and my hairdresser is just around the corner from Thomas Street Tavern. Two years ago, when former President Bill Clinton was in Charlotte to speak, he and his entourage stopped and ate lunch at Thomas Street Tavern, because it was close to the VFW hall where he was speaking. So Thomas Street Tavern is a bar/restaurant open during the day and at night.

The neighborhood of Plaza Midwood where Thomas Street Tavern is located is a transitional area that became trendy in the last 5-10 years because it is within about 1-2 miles of uptown Charlotte. It is bordered on the west by two higher income neighborhoods - Elizabeth and Myers Park, but on the north, east and south by much higher crime areas around First Ward, Central Avenue, Monroe Road and Independence Blvd.

My hairdresser's previous salon was literally across the street from Thomas Street Tavern and I often parked on the street in front of the place. The bars and restaurants in that area are very much "neighborhood" bars/restaurants.

The young woman lives in an area of Charlotte called The Arboretum. From the Arboreturm to Plaza-Midwood, it would take about 20-30 minutes to get there. That's about how long it takes me to go to my hairdresser's salon.

The most likely route for someone familiar with the area is to take Providence Road to Caswell Avenue to Pecan Avenue and if you know the block, you can come in from the back, but if you don't know the area that well, you would turn on Central and then turn onto Thomas Street. The parking around that area is tricky. There's a restaurant across the street, The Penguin, that is very popular as well as some other shops and resaturants.

My hair appts. were always after work and I never felt safe walking in that area to and from my car even in the early evening -around 6 p.m. In fact, my hairdresser made it a point to walk out of his salon with me to watch me walk to my car.

I would NEVER go to that area alone at night, but she was reportedly with friends. And she probably didn't know as much about the area as I do since I have been going to that area for eight years to get my hair done.

However, she had to have driven to the area by herself because her car was found in the parking lot and she was not reported missing until the next day when she didn't show up for work. If there were friends with her, they must have met her there.

Recently, a 25 year old woman was carjacked from a grocery store parking lot on Central Avenue only about a block from this location. Her carjacker, has not been caught, but he does not match the description of the man that Valerie was last seen with. The woman's car has not been found though.

The Arboretum area where Valerie Hamilton lives in Southeast Charlotte is only about four miles from where I live. It is a high income area with very, very low crime.

I'm not sure why she and her friends would go ALL THE WAY over to Thomas Street Tavern to go out. Most people her age go to uptown Charlotte to go out. Going uptown is actually farther than going over to Thomas Street Tavern, but it is a more logical fit for where young people her age would go out.

There is still another unsolved missing person's case in Charlotte - Kyle Fleischman. He disappeared a few years ago after leaving a bar in uptown Charlotte that is probably less than two miles from Thomas Street Tavern.

So, that's all the background information I can think of that may be relevant.

jcamille

09-17-2010, 11:34 PM

She worked at a Hooters, apparently, so maybe a regular customer?

I wonder which Hooter's she worked at - there is one on South Blvd which is at least a 20-30 minute drive west of Thomas Street Tavern and also about that same distance northwest from where she lived. The one on Independence Blvd. closed (which would have been the closest one for her)and I think there is one in Northeast Charlotte near UNC-Charlotte, but that's even farther from where she lives - at least 45 minutes or more.

I think the tie to the area where Thomas Street Tavern is located is CPCC - the community college main campus is located less than a half mile from the Plaza Midwood area.

I just heard on TV that she was going to school at CPCC. It is a commuter school where people take day or night classes while working full-time, so its students range from 18-60. I could easily see her and people she may have met in her classes going to Thomas Street Tavern or The Penguin to eat or drink because of the proximity.

However, CPCC has multiple campuses throughout Charlotte and I'm not certain that she was going to the main campus, but it makes sense, as a reason for why she would be in the Plaza Midwood area. I wonder if she met this man in one of her classes at CPCC.

Plaza Midwood has a really mixed population - There are "yuppies" who work at banks uptown who bought houses cheaply and renovated them. It also has a large gay population and is an area for people with alternative lifestyles. There are tattoo/piercing businesses, funky stores, vintage shops, consignment shops, a dairy queen, a grocery store, a bank, several hair salons and a few restaurants and bars within walking distance.

However as you go south down Central Avenue (southeast), the area transitions into a much higher crime area/lower income area quickly - within blocks.

Lori59

09-17-2010, 11:56 PM

I started a thread about this in the missing forum....sorry if it was the wrong thread. Perhaps they can be combined. I also live in the area and have actually been to Thomas Street Tavern many times as when my son was a grad student I would meet him for lunch there since he lived nearby. I agree with the previous post that although this area is next to some nice areas....it also sits very close to some high crime areas as it is very urban and close to uptown. However, my son and his friends were locals and loved this place. It is a very trendy area that a lot of young people gather. I also agree that Valerie lived in a low crime area. I think it is telling that the police have spent so much time at her apartment 20 or so minutes from the Tavern. Perhaps, the man gave her a ride home since her car was found at the Tavern whether willingly or not. But, the fact that they have focused on her apartment is telling in some way to me.

Lori59

09-18-2010, 12:01 AM

I wonder which Hooter's she worked at - there is one on South Blvd which is at least a 20-30 minute drive west of Thomas Street Tavern and also about that same distance northwest from where she lived. The one on Independence Blvd. closed (which would have been the closest one for her)and I think there is one in Northeast Charlotte near UNC-Charlotte, but that's even farther from where she lives - at least 45 minutes or more.

I think the tie to the area where Thomas Street Tavern is located is CPCC - the community college main campus is located less than a half mile from the Plaza Midwood area.

I just heard on TV that she was going to school at CPCC. It is a commuter school where people take day or night classes while working full-time, so its students range from 18-60. I could easily see her and people she may have met in her classes going to Thomas Street Tavern or The Penguin to eat or drink because of the proximity.

However, CPCC has multiple campuses throughout Charlotte and I'm not certain that she was going to the main campus, but it makes sense, as a reason for why she would be in the Plaza Midwood area. I wonder if she met this man in one of her classes at CPCC.

Plaza Midwood has a really mixed population - There are "yuppies" who work at banks uptown who bought houses cheaply and renovated them. It also has a large gay population and is an area for people with alternative lifestyles. There are tattoo/piercing businesses, funky stores, vintage shops, consignment shops, a dairy queen, a grocery store, a bank, several hair salons and a few restaurants and bars within walking distance.

However as you go south down Central Avenue (southeast), the area transitions into a much higher crime area/lower income area quickly - within blocks.

Your description of this area is spot on....they also have some high end furniture and clothing stores within the vintage shops.

jcamille

09-18-2010, 12:05 AM

It's weird tha they found her purse in her car. To order drinks at Thomas Street, she would have to show ID being so young and I couldn't imagine leaving my purse in my car in a "transitional" area.

I wonder if he "walked her to her car since it was so late" and then kidnapped her. It could be someone who was stalking her.

Lori59

09-18-2010, 12:07 AM

Also, they have released a description of a man she was seen with. Her father is chief of police in Concord which is just outside of Charlotte and he has said he is happy with the way the investigation is going.

It's weird tha they found her purse in her car. To order drinks at Thomas Street, she would have to show ID being so young and I couldn't imagine leaving my purse in my car in a "transitional" area.

I wonder if he "walked her to her car since it was so late" and then kidnapped her. It could be someone who was stalking her.

I agree with you. With the Kyle case..he left his coat behind too. A girl from the bar had said that she did not know the guy. From how my son talked about the place ..there were a lot of regulars. Her friends were interviewed tonight on the news ...didn't talk of the night so as to not compromise the investigation though.

redwine81

09-18-2010, 01:00 AM

I am very concerned for this young woman. My prayers go out to her family and I hope there is a good ending here. Finding her purse and her car left behind is very concerning.

trigger

09-18-2010, 01:21 AM

LE believes she went her to apt after leaving the restaurant? I wonder why they have K9 dogs in the restaurant area then? Unless she went back there?

I bet she knows him and felt comfortable with him but her pocketbook being left in the car has me puzzled. Unless he brought her back to her car in the early morning hours.

Hope they find her.

Kat

09-18-2010, 01:34 AM

Sounds like a guy she has on her myspace page. He commented once that I saw, but it looks like she hasn't used that page since late last year. Just a long shot.

White. That's an unusual way to describe gray hair, don't you think? Just curious to me is all.

Her purse and her ID were found in her car.

Her purse I can understand, but not the ID.

Did she walk out to her car, he asked her to take a ride with him someplace? She just threw what was in her pockets into her purse in the car OR she had her purse and ID (more than likely) and just tossed the purse in her car. Just maybe's that came to my head.

Wonder where in her car the purse and ID were found? Just curious.

Come home soon sweetie.

(ETA: Just a gentle reminder---no links to his page if you want to discuss and don't use his full name :))

AliceInPain

09-18-2010, 06:06 AM

(Rumour) I was searching for updates on Valerie and found a post by a friend, who said Valerie's last phone call was at three in the morning from a hot tub in downtown Charlotte.

I hope she is found soon but it doesn't look good : (

Btw, where does it say she works at Hooters? :waitasec: That could explain the mysterious man, but I can't find it mentioned anywhere. Thanks

:angel:

Bratislava

09-18-2010, 09:59 AM

Valerie Hamilton, a Concord High graduate, is attending Central Piedmont Community College in hopes of becoming a teacher, and she works at a Charlotte restaurant. Friends and her employers say they have not heard from her since she disappeared.

Just a point of clarification- she was in school to become a preschool teacher but currently working at a restaurant in town (Hooters, I'm guessing).

Bratislava

09-18-2010, 10:01 AM

She is wearing the Hooters uniform in her MySpace photos and posing with co-workers in their respective uniforms.

LLLindsayy

09-18-2010, 10:39 AM

Alice - I don't know how credible the info on the "ping from the hot tub" is, because I think that pings can't be tracked that specifically. More so they can be tracked within a range of areas. That's why people usually have to search after they find a ping. I could be wrong on this. Correct me if I am!

Bratislava - Valerie's about me section on her Myspace says she works at a different restaurant called Stool Pigeons. Maybe she either a) used to work at Hooters or b) bought the uniform (because I think you can just buy it).

Knox

09-18-2010, 12:03 PM

Hooter's T-Shirts are sold in the stores and elsewhere, so who knows?
Here is her facebook page ...
http://www.facebook.com/search/?flt=1&q=valerie+hamilton&o=2048&s=20#!/profile.php?id=100000319113400&v=info&ref=search (http://www.facebook.com/search/?flt=1&q=valerie+hamilton&o=2048&s=20#%21/profile.php?id=100000319113400&v=info&ref=search)

ETA; The posts by RM, curious ... Also has a MS Page (IF it's the same person), he's 47, wears a hat so can't see his hair.

panthera

09-18-2010, 01:22 PM

Police Chief's Missing Daughter Gets National Attention

Updated: 1:00 pm EDT September 18, 2010
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The case of a local police chief's missing daughter received national attention on Saturday, as authorities continue to search for Valerie Hamilton.

"America's Most Wanted" picked up on the case, but there was no word whether it helped police with the investigation.

A Charlotte woman who partied with Valerie Hamilton, the daughter of the Concord Police Chief,the night she vanished, said Friday evening she's hoping her missing friend will call her and solve the mystery.

Valerie Hamilton was last seen at a bar in Charlotte's Plaza Midwood neighborhood early Wednesday morning.
Hamilton is the daughter of Concord Police Chief Merl Hamilton.

Robin Varner and Kathryn Foster work with Hamilton at the Little Otter Swim School.

Foster said she was with a group of people who partied with Hamilton at the Thomas Street Tavern before Hamilton disappeared.
Foster did not want go into detail about the outing because of the ongoing investigation.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police, however, released a description of a man Hamilton was seen talking to at the bar.

Some friends told investigators Hamilton might have left the bar with the man.

“She’s a very outgoing person. She makes friends,” Varner said. “She would never disappear like this, ever.”

more at http://www.wsoctv.com/news/25060037/detail.html

panthera

09-18-2010, 01:35 PM

It's weird tha they found her purse in her car. To order drinks at Thomas Street, she would have to show ID being so young and I couldn't imagine leaving my purse in my car in a "transitional" area.

I wonder if he "walked her to her car since it was so late" and then kidnapped her. It could be someone who was stalking her.
I am curious if her keys are still missing. I have seen several reports of her purse and ID being found in the car but no mention of keys, and if LE believes it is possible she returned to her apartment, it seems they haven't been found. I am still not making the connection however why they believe she could've gone back home and left her car at the tavern, and if she did, why her purse was left in her car. Sadly it seems she could have been abducted from the parking lot after putting her things in the car. :( MOO

Lavanda Dolce

09-18-2010, 01:38 PM

I am curious if her keys are still missing. I have seen several reports of her purse and ID being found in the car but no mention of keys, and if LE believes it is possible she returned to her apartment, it seems they haven't been found. I am still not making the connection however why they believe she could've gone back home and left her car at the tavern, and if she did, why her purse was left in her car. Sadly it seems she could have been abducted from the parking lot after putting her things in the car. :( MOO

I read where her keys were in her vehicle on the console.
Do you remember which article? TIA :)

Lavanda Dolce

09-18-2010, 01:41 PM

I am curious if her keys are still missing. I have seen several reports of her purse and ID being found in the car but no mention of keys, and if LE believes it is possible she returned to her apartment, it seems they haven't been found. I am still not making the connection however why they believe she could've gone back home and left her car at the tavern, and if she did, why her purse was left in her car. Sadly it seems she could have been abducted from the parking lot after putting her things in the car. :( MOO

Dogs spent the day canvassing areas around the Thomas Street Tavern.

It’s the same place the 23-year-old was seen early Wednesday morning.

Her car was found parked in front of a barbershop, just steps from the Tavern’s front door.

The owner, Lance Washington says it’s not unusual for people visiting the Tavern to park in front of his business.

Not unusual still for people to go to the tavern and leave their car overnight until the next morning or afternoon.

But two days he says it too long.

“What made it suspicious was there were car keys or keys left in the middle console and a pocket book,” Washington said.
http://lostnmissing.amplify.com/2010/09/18/charlotte-valerie-grace-hamilton-23-police-chiefs-daughter-missing/

Lavanda Dolce

09-18-2010, 01:42 PM

Do you remember which article? TIA :)

In the console. Sorry. I read, on the console.
http://www.wbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13176210

panthera

09-18-2010, 02:01 PM

In the console. Sorry. I read, on the console.
http://www.wbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13176210
Thanks so much! I had missed that site's update last night. So it would definitely appear she had put her things in the car, intending to drive away and she was abducted from there ~ as opposed to have just gotten into someone's car willingly with the intent to leave her car there overnight. MOO

jcamille

09-18-2010, 02:24 PM

Not unusual still for people to go to the tavern and leave their car overnight until the next morning or afternoon.

But two days he says it too long.

“What made it suspicious was there were car keys or keys left in the middle console and a pocket book,” Washington said.
http://lostnmissing.amplify.com/2010/09/18/charlotte-valerie-grace-hamilton-23-police-chiefs-daughter-missing/

I personally can't believe that someone didn't break into the car if it sat for two days with the keys and purse visible.

As a woman, you don't go anywhere without your purse or the most important contents of it - ID, keys, cell phone.

The only place where I will leave my purse in the TRUNK of my car is when I take my dog to the dog park. But I take out my ID, cell phone and car keys and put those in my pocket so that I have them with me at all times.

It also makes no sense - the idea that she may have left her car there, went with him to her apt. with the idea of coming back later to get her car - even if she had been drinking. There would be no traffic at that time of night, but it would still be a 20 minute drive each way from her apt. to where her car was.

I think he walked her to her car because it was late, she opened her car, put her purse inside, turned around to thank him for walking her to her car and say goodnight to him and that's when he abducted her because she may have declined his invitation to continue the evening.

Although the area does have an active nightlife, Tuesday night is not a typical party night in Charlotte. At 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning, there could not have been that many people out and about.

panthera

09-18-2010, 02:33 PM

I personally can't believe that someone didn't break into the car if it sat for two days with the keys and purse visible.

As a woman, you don't go anywhere without your purse or the most important contents of it - ID, keys, cell phone.

The only place where I will leave my purse in the TRUNK of my car is when I take my dog to the dog park. But I take out my ID, cell phone and car keys and put those in my pocket so that I have them with me at all times.

It also makes no sense - the idea that she may have left her car there, went with him to her apt. with the idea of coming back later to get her car - even if she had been drinking. There would be no traffic at that time of night, but it would still be a 20 minute drive each way from her apt. to where her car was.

I think he walked her to her car because it was late, she opened her car, put her purse inside, turned around to thank him for walking her to her car and say goodnight to him and that's when he abducted her because she may have declined his invitation to continue the evening.

Although the area does have an active nightlife, Tuesday night is not a typical party night in Charlotte. At 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning, there could not have been that many people out and about.
If these keys found are her car keys, chances are the apt. key would also be there so that seems to rule out the possibility she went home afterward. And I totally agree, no one would leave their personal belongings like a purse and ID in the car at night while going off with someone else. It appears she was intending to leave in her car when she was abducted, and maybe dropped the keys on/in the console. I also agree it is likely not that many people were around at that hour of the night/early morning on Wednesday. It also seems unlikely she was intending to go anywhere but home since she had to work that day. MOO

jcamille

09-18-2010, 08:35 PM

I went over to Thomas Street Tavern today to take some pics of the area to show you. There were 2 TV trucks getting film, but not much activity otherwise.

There is a photo of Thomas Street Tavern (note red car and red umbrellas for reference).

There is a photo standing in front of Thomas Street Tavern (note red car) toward the parking lot where her car was found. The parking lot is diagonally and to the right across the street.

Then there are two photos taken from the parking lot looking towards Thomas Street Tavern (you can make out the red umbrellas in the distance).

Given that the parking lot is surrounded by on-street parking and trees, it definitely has a feeling of being secluded. It's also a deep parking lot that goes farther back than it looks. It appears to hold maybe 60 cars and is located at the corner of Central Avenue and Thomas Street. There is a city bus stop right beside the parking lot on Central Avenue. I noticed alot of people hanging out in that area waiting on the bus.

I am an extremely careful person and I can tell you that there's NO POSSIBILITY whatsoever that I would have parked in that lot at night and walked through it by myself to and from Thomas Street Tavern.

In fact, I never even felt comfortable parking in that lot when I went to my hairdresser in the early evening each month. I would only park in one of the on-street spaces on Thomas Street because I felt that the on-street parking was safer than the parking lot.

Lori59

09-18-2010, 09:19 PM

I have read in some reports that her car was parked in the barber shop parking lot right next to Thomas Tavern. I can't remember it ....where is in as far as your pictures are concerned ..... to the right of the Tavern? Also, the times I went there for lunch we parked in a parking lot that you drove down a lane on the left side of the Tavern and it went back behind and was next to the outside sitting area out back. Is that the parking lot you took pictures of today? Thanks for the pictures.

Lori59

09-18-2010, 09:31 PM

Here's the article where the barber shop owner talks about seeing her car in his parking lot. He also talks about speaking with the father after the car had been there for 2 days with keys and a purse inside. Wondering if he was the one that alerted them to her car?

I have read in some reports that her car was parked in the barber shop parking lot right next to Thomas Tavern. I can't remember it ....where is in as far as your pictures are concerned ..... to the right of the Tavern? Also, the times I went there for lunch we parked in a parking lot that you drove down a lane on the left side of the Tavern and it went back behind and was next to the outside sitting area out back. Is that the parking lot you took pictures of today? Thanks for the pictures.

If you are looking at the front of Thomas Street Tavern which is on Thomas Street, there is a little strip of shops to the right of it with parking in front of those shops - maybe 10-12 spaces. Since that parking is SO limited and would easily be taken over by Penquin and Thomas Street patrons, they are literally - predatory - about towing any cars from those spaces when patrons don't go in those businesses.

If you are looking at Thomas Street Tavern, there is another restaurant to the left - called The Dish which is close to the corner of Thomas St. and Central.

The parking lot that I took pictures of would be - If you are standing in FRONT of Thomas Street Tavern and looking to your right, there is a lot across the street, but diagonally to the right. It's at the corner of Central and Thomas. There is a barber shop on Central Avenue right across from the lot.

There is an outdoor eating area as you can see from the red umbrellas. I have never been back behind Thomas Street Tavern to know about any parking back there.

jcamille

09-18-2010, 09:41 PM

Here's the article where the barber shop owner talks about seeing her car in his parking lot. He also talks about speaking with the father after the car had been there for 2 days with keys and a purse inside. Wondering if he was the one that alerted them to her car?

I just watched the wcnc.com video - that reporter is standing in the lot that I took pictures of.

The way she points - would be the little parking area in front of those few businesses in that small strip of shops. They are so diligent about towing cars from that lot in front of those businesses that I can't believe her car could sit there for two days. In fact, the surrounding businesses (i.e. my hairdresser) have signs on their doors telling patrons - do not park in that little lot because you will be towed.

Lori59

09-18-2010, 09:50 PM

I just watched the wcnc.com video - that reporter is standing in the lot that I took pictures of.

The way she points - would be the little parking area in front of those few businesses in that small strip of shops. They are so diligent about towing cars from that lot in front of those businesses that I can't believe her car could sit there for two days. In fact, the surrounding businesses (i.e. my hairdresser) have signs on their doors telling patrons - do not park in that little lot because you will be towed.

In the article (or it may be another news story) he states that the first day he assumed the car was left by someone that had been at Thomas Street. It was after the second day that he thought it was strange. I guess he was just being nice not having it towed. He then talks about consoling the dad when he spoke with him about the car.
When we would have lunch there we would park in back to the left of the Tavern. There is a deck and a larger outdoor sitting area in the back that over looks that parking area. It was fine in the daytime but would not feel safe to me at night.

Lori59

09-18-2010, 10:01 PM

Here's another article talking about her car being parked in front of a barber shop, just steps from the Tavern's front door.

http://www.wbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13176210

Hucklepie

09-18-2010, 10:33 PM

I've been to bars in that area on Saturday nights before - not that particular one though, and not on a weeknight. It's a pretty crowded area on warm Saturday nights, but I have no idea how many people might be around on a weekday (although the weather was nice this past week, so I wouldn't be surprised if a fair number of people were out and about in the area that night).

It doesn't look like she uses Facebook frequently, but there are a couple of notations on her wall from a personal ad site called Zoosk - I'm not familiar with that website. It does make me wonder if she was frequenting other personal ad sites though, and if she could have met someone sketchy that way. (and I say this as a single woman in the Charlotte area who occasionally peruses such sites myself...)

3doglady

09-18-2010, 11:38 PM

Econo Lodge is being searched by LE in connection with Valerie Hamilton. The man she left the Tavern with, stayed at the hotel but is no longer there. Channel 9 News in Charlotte.

Lori59

09-18-2010, 11:43 PM

New lead. The man police say left with Valerie from the Thomas Street Tavern checked out of Econo lodge in east Charlotte on Fri.

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/25060037/detail.html

trigger

09-19-2010, 12:46 AM

So they know who he is, where he lives what he drives. They should plaster his face all over the news and his car since it made the news...

Probably will bring him in for questioning real quick...

Hoping she is ok.

Prayers for her family

darlin gal

09-19-2010, 01:42 AM

Charlotte, N.C. (WBTV) - 23 year old Valerie Hamilton has been found dead. Police are now searching for suspect. Stay tuned to WBTV news Sunday morning for more information.

:(

Prayers to her family/friends.
Rest in peace, Valerie.

May justice be swift and just.

http://www.wbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13179025

cluciano63

09-19-2010, 01:44 AM

Oh no...:(

darlin gal

09-19-2010, 02:24 AM

New photographer from Channel WCNC has a few tweets about where she was found and names the suspect.
http://twitter.com/fgunnell

jcamille

09-19-2010, 04:37 AM

Awful news! I hope they catch the guy! So sad.

jcamille

09-19-2010, 04:50 AM

www.wbtv.com
She was found dead at a min-storage business on Monroe Road. That location is probably 2 and a half miles from Thomas Street Tavern. They said that he was staying at the Econo Lodge - there's one on Independence Blvd. that wouldn't have been far from the mini storage business - about a mile if you know how to cut through from Monroe to Independence.

jcamille

09-19-2010, 04:57 AM

WBTV.com is reporting that they found her body at a mini storage facility. Very sad news for her family. They have also released a picture of him and his vehicle. I hope he's caught soon.

curiouserthangeorge

09-19-2010, 07:20 AM

Her body was found overnight in a storage facility off Monroe road. :( :( :(
http://www.wcnc.com/news/Police-Chiefs-daughter-found-dead-in-Southeast-Charlotte.html

Truthful Lies

09-19-2010, 08:47 AM

Wow. I hope they catch this guy pretty soon....scary. I wonder how he thought he was going to get away with this... =(

According to Google maps - his registered sex offender address was within 5 minutes of Thomas Street Tavern (1.9 miles). Wonder what reason he had to move from NY to NC. And, of course, he moves to a college town...

Kimberlyd125

09-19-2010, 10:27 AM

Horrible news. Rest in peace Valerie.

KAE

09-19-2010, 10:43 AM

According to Google maps - his registered sex offender address was within 5 minutes of Thomas Street Tavern (1.9 miles). Wonder what reason he had to move from NY to NC. And, of course, he moves to a college town...

So sad.
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/09/19/1704091/missing-womans-body-found-murder.html

mysterygirl

09-19-2010, 11:55 AM

Boy did he pick the wrong girl!

A police chiefs daughter........I was hoping that she was alive, so sad.

jcamille

09-19-2010, 11:57 AM

In terms of a timeline....

She goes missing from parking lot near Thomas Street Tavern at about 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning.

He checks out of Econolodge on Friday.

Econolodge, his house and Mini storage facility are searched Saturday night and she is found.

The bar manager said that they had video and they turned over purchase receipts from Tuesday night to police.

I wonder if he paid for his drinks with a credit card (like an idiot) and from that they started the process of tracking his credit card purchases at the motel and the rental of the mini storage facility.

Although the car he was in was stolen, they could probably get the license tag from surveilllance video at the bar, motel or mini-storage facility.

So, it seems likely that she was killed before Friday because that's when he left the hotel. I think she was taken straight from Thomas Street Tavern to the Mini Storage facility. I don't think he would risk taking her to the motel.

The area of the mini-storage facility is a low-rent, run-down, small business type of area where there many businesses have gone under. There used to be a Sonny's restaurant and a Babytown store on Monoe Road in that area, but both closed.

I would like to know when he rented the mini-storage facility. This is beginning to look like he was stalking her waiting for the perfect opportunity to grab her. I think he had this all planned. This was not just random.

I also think that he was likely parked vey close to where her car was so that when he grabbed her, he could get her in his vehicle very quickly.

Incredible job with the map! It really reinforces my thought that the place where their paths crossed is CPCC. Classes started at CPCC on August 16th, I can't help but think he was either hanging out around the campus or the campus hangout (i.e. Thomas Street Tavern) and started following her, looking for the moment of opportunity to grab her.

AnnieOakley

09-19-2010, 12:35 PM

Boy did he pick the wrong girl!

A police chiefs daughter........I was hoping that she was alive, so sad.

Being a daughter of LE, I am hoping that she was able to hurt him before he killed her! JMO, of course, but I hope she left this earth biting and scratching this SOB...

How horrible! I am shaking with rage that yet another RSO was able to commit yet another crime! I am honestly speechless.

Hope they find him immediately.

panthera

09-19-2010, 01:24 PM

First of all, thank you everyone for your interest in Valerie's disappearance. Even though I didn't know her, she lived here and this thread should never have needed to be on WS. :cry:

Rest in Peace Valerie, and may justice be served for you :rose:

panthera

09-19-2010, 01:27 PM

Missing woman's body found; murder warrant issued

CHARLOTTE, N.C. --

The body of Valerie Hamilton, the 23-year-old daughter of Concord's police chief, was found Saturday night in a storage unit on Monroe Road in southeast Charlotte, police say.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police have issued a murder warrant for 34-year-old Michael Neal Harvey, a registered sex offender with a lengthy criminal record.
Harvey is thought to be the man seen on video surveillance leaving the Thomas Street Tavern in Plaza Midwood early last Wednesday morning with Hamilton. She had not been seen or heard from since leaving the restaurant.

Police say they believe Harvey is still in the Charlotte area and are asking the public for help. The search was continuing early Sunday afternoon.
Harvey has past arrests for offenses that include firearm possession, according to a check of court records.
"We're very earnestly asking the public's help in locating Mr. Harvey or the Chevy Blazer he is driving," CMPD Major Harold Medlock said Sunday morning.
The missing person case had attracted national attention, with the TV show "America's Most Wanted" including Hamilton's status on its website Saturday.
Medlock said he had hoped for a better ending to the search.
"When we start a search like this, we always hope we can return the missing person safely to their family," Medlock said Sunday morning.
Instead, a three-day search by police ended Saturday evening at the Mini-Storage Center, in the 4500 block of Monroe Road. That's where investigators found Hamilton's body.

When they say lengthy court record, it's not an understatement. I couldn't search Niagara County in NY, you have to pay, but the above NC records are what is currently pending against him. WTH was this guy doing out on the streets??!!

~Rest in peace Valerie~

panthera

09-19-2010, 02:09 PM

In terms of a timeline....

She goes missing from parking lot near Thomas Street Tavern at about 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning.

He checks out of Econolodge on Friday.

Econolodge, his house and Mini storage facility are searched Saturday night and she is found.

The bar manager said that they had video and they turned over purchase receipts from Tuesday night to police.

I wonder if he paid for his drinks with a credit card (like an idiot) and from that they started the process of tracking his credit card purchases at the motel and the rental of the mini storage facility.

Although the car he was in was stolen, they could probably get the license tag from surveilllance video at the bar, motel or mini-storage facility.

So, it seems likely that she was killed before Friday because that's when he left the hotel. I think she was taken straight from Thomas Street Tavern to the Mini Storage facility. I don't think he would risk taking her to the motel.

The area of the mini-storage facility is a low-rent, run-down, small business type of area where there many businesses have gone under. There used to be a Sonny's restaurant and a Babytown store on Monoe Road in that area, but both closed.

I would like to know when he rented the mini-storage facility. This is beginning to look like he was stalking her waiting for the perfect opportunity to grab her. I think he had this all planned. This was not just random.

I also think that he was likely parked vey close to where her car was so that when he grabbed her, he could get her in his vehicle very quickly.

I would also like to know if he was registered as a student at CPCC
I agree with your speculation about the planning. The proximity of the Tavern and him having a unit at the storage facility seems more than coincidental, imo. And that makes me more than curious just how Valerie knew him, and after seeing the rap sheet and mug shot, why she'd even be leaving the tavern with him. Now that her body has been found and after he is arrested, I hope her friends can shed more light on what may have happened. MOO

Bratislava

09-19-2010, 05:18 PM

I wonder where they first met. Can't find a Facebook account for Michael Harvey, which makes sense. He could have been easily outed as a felon and RSO on Facebook.

Was Valerie planning to meet him at the bar? Or did she meet him while waiting for someone else?

Blue Ridge

09-19-2010, 05:32 PM

Was Valerie planning to meet him at the bar? Or did she meet him while waiting for someone else?

Or did he just seem like a 'nice guy' who offered to walk her to her car when she was leaving?

Makes me sick and so sad.

RIP Valerie. And prayers for your heartbroken family.

jcamille

09-19-2010, 05:49 PM

Or did he just seem like a 'nice guy' who offered to walk her to her car when she was leaving?

Makes me sick and so sad.

RIP Valerie. And prayers for your heartbroken family.

Her friends said that she had been talking to him at the bar, but that they didn't know him.

So, that makes me think that he was stalking her, chatted with her in the bar, then walked out at the same time that she did and offered to make sure she made it to her car safely.

Lori59

09-19-2010, 05:57 PM

How do you find search warrants for his house and storage unit?

panthera

09-19-2010, 06:48 PM

Her friends said that she had been talking to him at the bar, but that they didn't know him.

So, that makes me think that he was stalking her, chatted with her in the bar, then walked out at the same time that she did and offered to make sure she made it to her car safely.
This makes the most sense to me also. However I'd still like to know when her friends left and why she didn't leave with them. If only she had..... :( MOO

jcamille

09-19-2010, 10:36 PM

There was some new information from the 10 p.m. newscasts tonight, but not much. I flipped back and forth between all the stations and learned a few tidbits here and there.

The most interesting thing was that Harvey checked into the Econolodge on Wednesday morning.

So, he abducts her at 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning, then he must have taken her to the mini storage unit, then a few hours later, he checked into the Econolodge. The news said his room was on the third floor and it's one of those motels with the stairs and doors are on the outside, so I don't think there's ANY possibility that he took her back to the motel. I don't see how he could have carried or forced her into the motel without someone seeing him. Unless, of course, she was concealed in a suitcase. (She was a very petite woman).

Then he checked out of the motel on Friday.

There was some information about where he lived in Charlotte. He lives in an area called NoDa (short for North Davidson). NoDa is a revitalized area near the intersection of N. Davidson and Parkwood that was very poor (so poor tha Habitat homes were built there) until about 7-10 years ago when developers started building new construction at middle class prices. Many developments have since gone bankrupt and there are some condo projects that have been left partially built.

NoDa is also known as the "artists" area of Charlotte (think starving artists). There is a small neighborhood theater and alot of funky art galleries in the area. There is a monthly "gallery crawl" that includes some of the galleries there. It is a high crime area with lots of car-breakins especially when there are events at the neighborhood theater.

One of the best things about NoDa is the Dog Bar. There is a bar that is wildly popular because they let you bring your dogs and they have a dog play area. It is so popular that they sell memberships!

The news said that he rented a room in a house in NoDa with two roommates who claim that they knew he was a RSO. The news spoke with neighbors who commented that there was a high volume of "traffic" going in and out of the house on a regular basis and that the police were regular visitors to that home. He has apparently been in Charlotte for several years, but only lived at that house the last four months. On the news tonight, they showed at least six or seven mug shots from arrests in Charlotte for everything from shoplifting to breaking and entry to larceny. (Sounds to me like he had a drug problem).

WSOC-TV.com seemed to have the most new information. www.wsoc-tv.com

Kat

09-19-2010, 10:47 PM

I'm so saddened to read this.

Such a lovely young lady. Prayers for her family.

Hope they catch this guy soon.

KaylynnCouture

09-19-2010, 10:51 PM

Praying for Valerie and her family. So sad.

jcamille

09-19-2010, 11:06 PM

WSOC-TV (the ABC affiliate) just reported that Valerie's father will be interviewed on Good Morning America in the morning.

Bratislava

09-19-2010, 11:21 PM

I am concerned because Harvey seems like such a loose cannon- very impulsive and accustomed to a criminal life style. He is surely aware that there is a manhunt going on for him and he knows he will probably get caught. Wouldn't such a person be likely to kill again?

trigger

09-20-2010, 12:47 AM

Inside of 34-year old Michael Harvey's Niagara Falls family home Sunday night, there were tears and anger. His family spoke with Eyewitness News exclusively in an off-camera interview, saying Michael couldn't have killed anyone. Michael was raised in Niagara Falls by his grandmother who legally adopted him. After finding out her son was wanted for murder, Michael's biological mother, sister and other relatives all gathered at Michael's family home, all of them saying he is innocent.

But in Charlotte, North Carolina there is a massive manhunt underway for Michael, who is a registered sex offender after being convicted of a 1996 rape in Niagara Falls.

Police believe Michael is driving a stolen 1996 white Chevy Blazer with North Carolina plates ZXE-1756. Charlotte police are not releasing details on Michael's relationship with the victim or confirming if they even knew each other. But, tonight the family in Niagara Falls is very upset about hearing the information, claiming Michael is the victim of police harassment.

:furious::furious::furious: Well he had them fooled didn't he.

Filly

09-20-2010, 01:40 AM

RIP Valerie. I'm so sorry.

Peliman

09-20-2010, 07:11 AM

I am concerned because Harvey seems like such a loose cannon- very impulsive and accustomed to a criminal life style. He is surely aware that there is a manhunt going on for him and he knows he will probably get caught. Wouldn't such a person be likely to kill again?

Yes, I consider Harvey armed and dangerous. LE is stating they believe he may still be in the Charlotte area, (not sure I believe it.) Assuming he's guilty, what's he got to lose? He may end up a suicide by cop.

Until he's caught, I'd advise people in the Charlotte area to be vigilant and not approach if he's seen.

Not seen further info on his White Chevy Blazer but it's possible he abandon it for another vehicle. One news report I saw reported it could be a two or four door, hope they clear that up some.

It wont surprise me if he tries to change his appearance, i/e cuts off his hair.

Hope we learn more on Good Morning America this morning. Thanks for the info Charlotte people.

trigger

09-20-2010, 07:54 AM

Inside of 34-year old Michael Harvey's Niagara Falls family home Sunday night, there were tears and anger. His family spoke with Eyewitness News exclusively in an off-camera interview, saying Michael couldn't have killed anyone. Michael was raised in Niagara Falls by his grandmother who legally adopted him. After finding out her son was wanted for murder, Michael's biological mother, sister and other relatives all gathered at Michael's family home, all of them saying he is innocent.

But in Charlotte, North Carolina there is a massive manhunt underway for Michael, who is a registered sex offender after being convicted of a 1996 rape in Niagara Falls.

Police believe Michael is driving a stolen 1996 white Chevy Blazer with North Carolina plates ZXE-1756. Charlotte police are not releasing details on Michael's relationship with the victim or confirming if they even knew each other. But, tonight the family in Niagara Falls is very upset about hearing the information, claiming Michael is the victim of police harassment.

(CNN) -- A registered sex offender was arrested Monday in the slaying death of a 23-year-old woman, the daughter of a North Carolina police chief, authorities said.
Michael Neal Harvey, 34, was arrested without incident by FBI agents and U.S. Marshals in Niagara Falls, New York, in connection with the death of Valerie Hamilton, Charlotte-Mecklenburg, North Carolina, police said in a statement. Detectives from Charlotte were on the way to New York to interview him and "work on the extradition process," the statement said.

More at link: http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/09/20/north.carolina.chiefs.daughter/index.html?hpt=T2

cleo612

09-20-2010, 12:27 PM

Hamilton murder suspect arrested in Niagara Falls

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The U.S. Marshal's Office confirms that the man suspected of killing the 23-year-old daughter of Concord's police chief has been arrested in Niagara Falls, N.Y.

Harvey is originally from Niagara Falls, but has been living in the Charlotte area for several years.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said local detectives are headed to New York to interview Harvey and bring him back to Charlotte.

Police are still searching for the white Chevrolet Blazer that Harvey was last seen driving. The Blazer has North Carolina license plate number ZXE-1756.

More at link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39266941

RainyGirl

09-20-2010, 12:27 PM

RIP Valerie. What a horrible loss.

I am grateful the perp is in custody now, but hope that *if* any person(s) were assisting him in any way (harboring/hiding him, helping with vehicles, movement, etc.) that they are arrested and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. I'm not familiar with N.C., but here in WA those who aid and abet a wanted felon are frequently prosecuted.....and we have some serving life sentences here in King County who helped perps evade the law. I pray there is Justice for Valerie.

cluciano63

09-20-2010, 12:29 PM

Funny how these criminals so often run back to where they came from...

Good police work in getting him...too bad the legal system did not perform as well in keeping him behind bars before this happened...

cleo612

09-20-2010, 12:32 PM

Suspect in killing of police chief's daughter caught

Officer had gone on national TV to urge peers to 'get out there and find this guy'

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A convicted rapist wanted in the killing of a woman whose body was found in a self-storage unit was arrested Monday, police said shortly after the woman's father, a N.C. police chief, had pleaded with peers nationwide to find the man.

FBI and U.S. Marshal officers arrested Michael Neal Harvey in Niagara Falls, N.Y., the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department reported.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police had issued an arrest warrant for the 34-year-old after the body of Valerie Hamilton was discovered Saturday in a self-storage facility in Charlotte.

Monday morning, the woman's father went on ABC's "Good Morning America" to urge peers to help find her killer.

"They took my daughter, guys. Play it right, play it by the rules, but y'all get out there and find this guy for me and when it comes back my way I'll pay you back," said Merl Hamilton, police chief in the Charlotte-area city of Concord.

"She was the perfect daughter ... and I need justice for her," he added.

More at link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39270507/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

jcamille

09-20-2010, 12:47 PM

Thank God! I'm so happy they caught him! This is great news for this city and for her family.

suzyq211

09-20-2010, 01:09 PM

Great news!!!!!

panthera

09-20-2010, 01:40 PM

Thank you everyone for the updates. And yes it is great news that Harvey is off the streets, in custody and hopefully soon will be extradited back here to NC. Ironic that he would flee back to NY, especially close to the Canadian border if he had nothing to do with Valerie's death. GUILTY, imo. MOO

panthera

09-20-2010, 01:47 PM

Thank God! I'm so happy they caught him! This is great news for this city and for her family.
Amen to that! :)

big4dropout

09-20-2010, 01:50 PM

Has anyone got any more information about this mention of the hot tub? I found this link on her FB page:

Harvey was located inside a house in Niagara Falls, said Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Rodney Monroe. The town was one of the places authorities thought he might flee, because he has relatives there, Monroe said.

A stolen 1996 Chevy Blazer that police had said Harvey was last seen driving also was recovered in Niagara Falls, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said. Authorities earlier had issued a description of the vehicle.

Monroe said repeated witness interviews and "very aggressive investigation" led authorities to the storage unit. He said the cause and manner of death was not immediately known, but an autopsy was being conducted Monday. When the body was found, it was wrapped, he said, and authorities avoided disturbing it as much as possible, he said.

Monroe said police had gotten word that Harvey knew he was wanted. "I don't think it came as any real surprise to him that authorities were able to locate him," he said.

So glad Harvey was caught. I don't think it sounds like this will be a tough case to prove- lots of physical evidence.

panthera

09-20-2010, 03:29 PM

Murder suspect arrested in Niagara Falls

The man sought by police in connection with the murder of Valerie Hamilton is in a New York jail after being arrested Monday morning while sleeping on a couch at a friend's house in Niagara Falls, authorities say.

Michael Neal Harvey, 34, who faces murder charges in Charlotte for the death of Hamilton, the 23-year-old daughter of Concord police Chief Merl Hamilton, was arrested without incident, according to Charlotte-Mecklenburg police Chief Rodney Monroe.

Multiple reports in the Buffalo area say Harvey was located by FBI agents and federal marshals at a home in the 5600 block of Stephenson Street, not far from Niagara Falls' airport.

Harvey apparently drove to New York from Charlotte, as police in Niagara Falls said the 1996 white Chevy Blazer he was driving was found behind Summit Park Mall. The insides of the car were burned out, according to Buffalo TV station WBKW.

"It was some great investigative work by New York authorities," Monroe said in a midday news conference.

Ack! This SOB came into my state?! Good thing I didn't know ahead of time or I would have had to restrain myself! So glad to hear he's been arrested, though. Hopefully justice will be smooth and swift.

Rest in peace, Val.

panthera

09-20-2010, 05:33 PM

Ack! This SOB came into my state?! Good thing I didn't know ahead of time or I would have had to restrain myself! So glad to hear he's been arrested, though. Hopefully justice will be smooth and swift.

Rest in peace, Val.
He was originally from your state and moved down to my state!! Isn't it ironic how they always flee back to where they're from especially when it's near the border of another country? Thankfully he didn't make it into Canada. MOO

cleo612

09-20-2010, 05:36 PM

New (long) article with information about Valerie and her passions for children. Words from her father and other acquaintances.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39274904/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

panthera

09-20-2010, 06:02 PM

Valerie Hamilton vigil service tonight

A candlelight vigil in memory of Valerie Hamilton has been scheduled for this evening in Concord.

The vigil, sponsored by Concord city officials and the Cabarrus County chapter of Mothers of Murdered Offspring will be at 7 p.m. next to the Concord Police Department on Market Street.

Cabarrus Avenue, between Union and Spring streets, and Market Street will be closed to vehicular traffic during the event. Those attending tonight's event are asked to park in the Cabarrus Avenue parking deck across from police headquarters. The deck can be reached from Union Street, using the driveway next to the library.

Mothers of Murdered Offspring is a victims' rights organization founded in 1993 in Charlotte. It provides a variety of support services for families who have lost a child to murder.

That boy is STRUNG OUT! Just heroin? Or more? I didn't think heroin was a murder kind of drug- I always associated violent crimes with drugs like cocaine, crack, and meth. Am I wrong? Does anyone know if he was arrested for anything besides heroin?

mikeysmommom

09-20-2010, 06:34 PM

I am glad he is off the streets so no one else life is in danger .Just sad that when it is one of their own how fast they catch them.Every one is someones child and deserves the same attention.IMO

mikeysmommom

09-20-2010, 06:36 PM

It sounds as though the friend feels the "hot tub" comment was a code that Valerie was in trouble??? Wishes she had known that things were okay.

She feels guilty she did not go, but in reality it could have been 2 bodies found in that storage unit.

panthera

09-20-2010, 06:39 PM

I am glad he is off the streets so no one else life is in danger .Just sad that when it is one of their own how fast they catch them.Every one is someones child and deserves the same attention.IMO
I don't believe this perp was captured more quickly because Valerie's father is a police chief. The perp himself left a trail from surveillance video, her body being found at his storage unit, returning to his home state, and more. MOO

jcamille

09-20-2010, 09:31 PM

Has anyone got any more information about this mention of the hot tub? I found this link on her FB page:

This poor girl - Ashley - will be haunted for the rest of her life - thinking what if.

If this post is legitimate, that means that Valerie was able to make a phone call and try to tell her friend a story, that would sound strange, but she couldn't be open probably because he was close by. It's sounds like such a strange story, even for a cover story.....hhmmm....

grayjay

09-20-2010, 09:42 PM

This poor girl - Ashley - will be haunted for the rest of her life - thinking what if.

If this post is legitimate, that means that Valerie was able to make a phone call and try to tell her friend a story, that would sound strange, but she couldn't be open probably because he was close by. It's sounds like such a strange story, even for a cover story.....hhmmm....
It is not just on FB:

Ashley Barton, a 20-year-old from Waxhaw, told The Observer she’d known Valerie Hamilton for about a month.

Hamilton called Barton just after 3 a.m. Wednesday. Barton said Hamilton asked her if she wanted to come out to the hot tub with her and a friend at Valerie's apartment complex. Now Barton assumes that friend was Harvey.

They think she was killed shortly after she was kidnapped. The police were quoted as saying it looks like she had been dead for seveal days.

I saw another news story (but can't remember where) where a police officer was quoted as saying, he may have taken her back to his house first (which I find hard to believe).

So, he kidnapped her at about 12:30-1:30 on Wednesday morning - held her somewhere for a few hours, possibly killed her during that time (my guess is in the vehicle), took her body to the mini storage unit at some point, checked into Econolodge on Wednesday morning and then checked out on Friday morning and obviously drove to New York on Friday-Saturday. I think he burned the vehicle to cover up the crime scene.

What did he do from Wednesday to Friday - just hide out at the Econolodge???

Still lots of unanswered questions.

Bratislava

09-20-2010, 09:52 PM

So, he kidnapped her at about 12:30-1:30 on Wednesday morning - held her somewhere for a few hours, possibly killed her during that time (my guess is in the vehicle), took her body to the mini storage unit at some point, checked into Econolodge on Wednesday morning and then checked out on Friday morning and obviously drove to New York on Friday-Saturday. I think he burned the vehicle to cover up the crime scene.

Hmmm... if this is true, then how could Valerie have called her friend at 3 am? Something is off here. I think Valerie was alive for a longer period that night. JMO.

Peliman

09-20-2010, 10:28 PM

Found a news story taken down about her keys on or in the console along with her wallet and ID in her parked car.

Were they her backup keys? If they were her main keys, how would she enter her apartment if that's where they went first?

trigger

09-20-2010, 11:25 PM

Video of his poor grandmother pleading with reporters to leave her alone.

Video also shows him in police car but its hard to make him out. The house where he was found was right by his grandmothers house.

Link to Video: http://www.wkbw.com/

cluciano63

09-21-2010, 12:25 AM

Did she take this man back to her complex? If she really called her friend at 3am, she must have been somewhere for those few hours...how confusing and awful...

revampz

09-21-2010, 01:46 AM

yep something is amiss here isnt it....

either this girl was kidnapped at her car...hence the keys and purse in it and the call to her friend was some call for help...

or

she met him in the bar, thought he was good looking and they went on partying and she stashed her keys in the console......unfortunately for her he was every young womans nightmare, a sicko.....

please dont attack me for presenting the above scenario as being an ex party girl, this type of thing is very common place and you think your friend is just "hooking up"......

I however dont think she did go off with him as why they hell put your keys in the console of your car to go back to your own apartment as the friend had suggested by the phone call she received.....seems odd...

I think she probably was talking to him and attracted to him, the friends left her as they thought she was on to a good thing etc.....however I think she did decide to go home and maybe they were sitting in her car and he nabbed her from there....

either way this really is every young party girls worse nightmare come true, and you really never think it is going to happen to you.....I bet poor Valerie didnt.....

RIP Valerie

jcamille

09-21-2010, 07:03 AM

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/25060037/detail.html

From WSOC-TV - This is interesting - The police chief in Charlotte said she was at his house, the Econolodge and the mini-storage unit. WOW!

Monroe said Monday that investigators think Hamilton was killed shortly after she disappeared from the tavern. Police are working to determine a cause of death, Monroe said, adding that investigators did not want to disturb evidence on the body when it was found.

“When we recovered the body, the body was wrapped,” Monroe said. “So, as not to disturb that and the materials that the body was wrapped in, we presented the materials and the body to the medical examiner's office.”

An autopsy is being performed on the body, Monroe said. He did not say when or if the results would be made public.

Investigators are also working to pinpoint where Hamilton was killed. Monroe said they are focusing on three places: the home Harvey was staying in, located at 401 E. 15th St.; the Econo Lodge on East Independence Boulevard, where Harvey stayed late last week; and the storage facility where Hamilton’s body was found.

"We don't know for sure whether or not an abduction occurred, or if the victim may have freely went with Mr. Harvey, but we do know the victim to be in those three locations," Monroe said.

I'm sorry the grandmother feels like she is being hounded but that woman is seriously, seriously deluded. He's been in trouble since he was 7 and started drinking alcohol and yet she says he is a loving, caring "family" man.

If that family hid him even for a day I hope they all go to jail. Thank God for the person who turned him in - you are a hero!

I'm enraged this guy wasn't already locked up forever, where he belonged.

RIP Valerie.

Bratislava

09-21-2010, 10:05 AM

When a friend checked her apartment near the Arboretum, she found Hamilton's door unlocked and her dog, Ruby, inside without food or water.

So she and Harvey did return to her apartment.....

Harvey has a young daughter, who was living with the girl's mother in 2008. Court records show a woman filed to prove paternity against Harvey last year in Gaston County.

Quotes are from http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/09/21/1707443/man-caught-charged-in-slaying.html

He also has a daughter. Poor little girl.

trigger

09-21-2010, 11:27 AM

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/25060037/detail.html

From WSOC-TV - This is interesting - The police chief in Charlotte said she was at his house, the Econolodge and the mini-storage unit. WOW!

Monroe said Monday that investigators think Hamilton was killed shortly after she disappeared from the tavern. Police are working to determine a cause of death, Monroe said, adding that investigators did not want to disturb evidence on the body when it was found.

“When we recovered the body, the body was wrapped,” Monroe said. “So, as not to disturb that and the materials that the body was wrapped in, we presented the materials and the body to the medical examiner's office.”

An autopsy is being performed on the body, Monroe said. He did not say when or if the results would be made public.

Investigators are also working to pinpoint where Hamilton was killed. Monroe said they are focusing on three places: the home Harvey was staying in, located at 401 E. 15th St.; the Econo Lodge on East Independence Boulevard, where Harvey stayed late last week; and the storage facility where Hamilton’s body was found.

"We don't know for sure whether or not an abduction occurred, or if the victim may have freely went with Mr. Harvey, but we do know the victim to be in those three locations," Monroe said.

I wonder why they didn't include his car?

trigger

09-21-2010, 11:43 AM

Hamilton suspect to appear in N.Y. courtroom. I wish we could see it live.

Here's the only scenario that I can come up with that has her going to all 3 locations with him (without taking her purse and keys - how did she get into her apt.?)

12:30-1:30 - they leave the bar together to continue the evening (no problem so far). Perhaps, they go to another bar or she says hey, there's a hot tub at my appt complex? Wanna go there? He says sure, but I need to swing by my house and get my swimsuit - I don't live far from here.

1:30ish -They take his car to his house. (10 min drive from Thomas St.)

(But why did she not take her car to her apt???)

Around 2:30 a.m. - they go to her apt. so she can change into her swimsuit (25-30 min drive from his house). She leaves door unlocked because the pool/hot tub is not that far from her apt. (I don't know this for a fact, just a scenario).

3 a.m. - They are in the hot tub - she calls her friend because she may be getting vibes that this guy is weird and if her friend comes over, he will leave.

3:30ish - As it's getting later, she tells him that she has to go get her car, he takes her back, she puts her keys and purse in the car and turns to say goodnight and
then he grabs her.

OR - she does take her car to her apt., but he drove it back to the parking lot near Thomas Street with her keys and purse in it to stage the scene.

I still don't know how she ends up at Econolodge, unless he took her there right after he kidnapped her.

jcamille

09-21-2010, 12:06 PM

I think she rejected his advances at some point and that sent him over the edge.

Bratislava

09-21-2010, 12:14 PM

I think he stopped by his house to get drugs, alchohol, or paraphenalia. He may not have planned to kill her, but he certainly probably planned to give her drugs and see what he could get away with. That is consistent with his rape and drug heavy past. JMO.

trigger

09-21-2010, 12:19 PM

Here's the only scenario that I can come up with that has her going to all 3 locations with him (without taking her purse and keys - how did she get into her apt.?)

12:30-1:30 - they leave the bar together to continue the evening (no problem so far). Perhaps, they go to another bar or she says hey, there's a hot tub at my appt complex? Wanna go there? He says sure, but I need to swing by my house and get my swimsuit - I don't live far from here.

1:30ish -They take his car to his house. (10 min drive from Thomas St.)

(But why did she not take her car to her apt???)

Around 2:30 a.m. - they go to her apt. so she can change into her swimsuit (25-30 min drive from his house). She leaves door unlocked because the pool/hot tub is not that far from her apt. (I don't know this for a fact, just a scenario).

3 a.m. - They are in the hot tub - she calls her friend because she may be getting vibes that this guy is weird and if her friend comes over, he will leave.

3:30ish - As it's getting later, she tells him that she has to go get her car, he takes her back, she puts her keys and purse in the car and turns to say goodnight and
then he grabs her.

OR - she does take her car to her apt., but he drove it back to the parking lot near Thomas Street with her keys and purse in it to stage the scene.

I still don't know how she ends up at Econolodge, unless he took her there right after he kidnapped her.

TY Yes that could have happen, going to her apt. At first I thought no way, but her call to her friend at 3am?? I guess we have to wait for more answers to this whole story. I wonder if she had hung out with him before? Him burning that car has me puzzled. WHY?

trigger

09-21-2010, 12:21 PM

I think she rejected his advances at some point and that sent him over the edge.

Yup just like JVS.

belimom

09-21-2010, 12:25 PM

... (snipped)...Him burning that car has me puzzled. WHY?

The answer that makes the most sense is that she was killed in the car. But I honestly have no idea. I'm all over the place as far as - did she go willingly? did she then get bad vibes? did all go well until the very end? did she not go willingly? did she leave her car there or did he drive it back? So many questions... I'm sure the video surveillance says alot.

One thing in my mind: if things were 'going well', I don't think she would've asked her friend to join them in the hot tub. (Well, maybe...)... But more than likely she was getting bad vibes or she wanted him to go away and he just wouldn't leave.

:waitasec:

jcamille

09-21-2010, 01:17 PM

Here's the only scenario that I can come up with that has her going to all 3 locations with him (without taking her purse and keys - how did she get into her apt.?)

12:30-1:30 - they leave the bar together to continue the evening (no problem so far). Perhaps, they go to another bar or she says hey, there's a hot tub at my appt complex? Wanna go there? He says sure, but I need to swing by my house and get my swimsuit - I don't live far from here.

1:30ish -They take his car to his house. (10 min drive from Thomas St.)

(But why did she not take her car to her apt???)

Around 2:30 a.m. - they go to her apt. so she can change into her swimsuit (25-30 min drive from his house). She leaves door unlocked because the pool/hot tub is not that far from her apt. (I don't know this for a fact, just a scenario).

3 a.m. - They are in the hot tub - she calls her friend because she may be getting vibes that this guy is weird and if her friend comes over, he will leave.

3:30ish - As it's getting later, she tells him that she has to go get her car, he takes her back, she puts her keys and purse in the car and turns to say goodnight and
then he grabs her.

OR - she does take her car to her apt., but he drove it back to the parking lot near Thomas Street with her keys and purse in it to stage the scene.

I still don't know how she ends up at Econolodge, unless he took her there right after he kidnapped her.

Or here's another thought - maybe she drove.

They went by his house, then to her apt., then SHE took him back to Thomas Street Tavern to drop him off at HIS car - by that time, it would be 4 a.m. or so and NO ONE would be anywhere around to see what happened.

Then, he could have kidnapped her (hence, leaving her purse and keys in her car in the parking lot). But that does not explain her leaving her apt. unlocked.

less0305

09-21-2010, 03:24 PM

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/25060037/detail.html

[B]"We don't know for sure whether or not an abduction occurred, or if the victim may have freely went with Mr. Harvey, but we do know the victim to be in those three locations," Monroe said.[/I]

snipped for space...

I worked for a large police department several years back and there was a case of a young woman abducted from her car (bump and grab) after she got off work after midnight from a popular chain restaurant. She was a college student and the three thugs that grabbed her kept her for several days, taking her to numerous places, in numerous cars, doing horrible things to her... She KNEW in her heart they would kill her eventually and so she devised a plan immediately to leave evidence every place they took her or put her. She pulled buttons from her sweater and left them behind a bush, she pulled her own hair out and left it in vehicles, tore part of her clothing, scratched herself to leave blood - IIRC, she even bit her own tongue to leave blood because of the way they had her hands bound at one point and she couldn't scratch herself. By the grace of God, she got away and after something like 5 days she was safe and alive. Her leaving evidence everywhere was the entire case!!! No one could believe how incredibly smart and brave she was, but she wanted to make sure that if any way possible she would be able to help convict her killers. That scenario went through my mind when they said they KNEW she was in all three places. Maybe as a leo family member, she purposely left evidence to be found and used should she not survive.

cleo612

09-21-2010, 04:17 PM

Harvey waives extradition, will return to Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The man arrested in connection with the death of 23-year-old Valerie Hamilton appeared in court Tuesday afternoon just an hour before Hamilton was buried in Concord.

In a five-minute hearing Tuesday in an upstate New York courtroom, Michael Neal Harvey said he would not fight extradition and would return to the Charlotte area.

Harvey, wearing an orange jail jumpsuit and handcuffs, was sent to the Niagara County Jail to await transfer. It was not immediately known when he would be extradited, but Charlotte-Mecklenburg authorities are already in New York.

More at link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39290022

Lori59

09-21-2010, 05:35 PM

Harvey's relatives say Harvey was afraid to call 911 because he and his roommates had called 911 so many times before. Records show 29 calls from his 15th Street house in the last three years -- some of them involving an ambulance and possible drug overdoses.

On Tuesday, the man who Harvey was staying with in New York when he was captured told WIVB-TV in Buffalo that Harvey told him he did not kill Hamilton.

"He didn't do it. He came here and was scared. I know the whole story and everything else," said Paul Maikranz. "He was out with the girl Wednesday night. They went to his house and, you know, they were doing things and his roommate walked in, so they went and got a hotel room.

"He said he woke up the next morning next to a dead girl. I said, 'What?' You know what I mean? And that was what it was."

Maikranz was also arrested Monday for harboring a fugitive, but was released after cooperating with authorities.

The Charlotte Observer is reporting that there weren't any signs of physical murder on her body (strangulation, gunshot, stab wounds, etc.) but there were signs of drug use. Apparently Harvey is claiming that he didn't kill her, but she died of an overdose and then he hid the body, or something like that. It doesn't add up to me. Of course, it's giving the awful people who comment terrible things on news stories lots of new blame-the-victim fodder.

Lori59

09-21-2010, 06:11 PM

Police said many people saw Hamilton with Harvey the night she disappeared. Detectives said Tuesday that they have found evidence of drug usage and that Hamilton needed “immediate medical attention” before she died. Harvey didn’t seek medical help, police said, despite being prompted by several witnesses to do so.

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/25060037/detail.html

It says many people prompted him to seek medical attention....what stopped them from helping her if this is all true?

jcamille

09-21-2010, 07:10 PM

Police said many people saw Hamilton with Harvey the night she disappeared. Detectives said Tuesday that they have found evidence of drug usage and that Hamilton needed “immediate medical attention” before she died. Harvey didn’t seek medical help, police said, despite being prompted by several witnesses to do so.

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/25060037/detail.html

It says many people prompted him to seek medical attention....what stopped them from helping her if this is all true?

Maybe he spiked her drink with something and it made her sick and she was throwing up. That would make sense when the police say that they found evidence that she had been in all 3 locations.

But that doesn't explain the 3 a.m. phone call to her friend. It seems that her friend would have said that she sounded really drunk or she said she was sick. Also, if she had been drugged, she may not have been in the frame of mnd to concoct a cover story to try to get her friend to come over.

This is very strange.

Lori59

09-21-2010, 07:17 PM

Here's a video of Harvey leaving the courthouse claiming that Valerie overdosed in her sleep. Family and friends on video also. Aunt says he was going to take Valerie to hospital and doesn't know what happened that he didn't and instead hid her body. His residence is VERY close to 3 major hospitals...Carolina's, Presbyterian, and Mercy.

Maybe he spiked her drink with something and it made her sick and she was throwing up. That would make sense when the police say that they found evidence that she had been in all 3 locations.

But that doesn't explain the 3 a.m. phone call to her friend. It seems that her friend would have said that she sounded really drunk or she said she was sick. Also, if she had been drugged, she may not have been in the frame of mnd to concoct a cover story to try to get her friend to come over.

This is very strange.

Trying to figure the 3 locations out.....if they left Thomas Tavern and went straight to his house which it seems to be the case..witnesses saw her there. If they then left there and checked into Econo Lodge, perhaps the desk clerk saw them both. And then her body being left at the Storage unit. With her car being left at Thomas St. Tavern, it makes since to me since his place and the motel are close to that area and her apt. is in south Charlotte approx. 25 min. away. If they headed to her apt. it just seems to me she would have picked up her car. Aside from the hot tub reference ..has it been determined they ever went to her apt.? Would the Econo Lodge have a hot tub? I feel things went bad after the phone call at 3:00.

jcamille

09-21-2010, 07:29 PM

I was near uptown today and decided to stop by Thomas Street Tavern and take some more pictures of the smaller lot that is to the right of Thomas Street Tavern where her car was found in front of Visionz salon/barber shop.

For a frame of reference, Visionz has the orange oval sign and Thomas Street Tavern has the orange colored umbrellas in front. I took these pictures standing in front of the barbershop looking towards Thomas Street Tavern.

If you are standing on Thomas Street looking at Thomas Street Tavern, these pictures and this parking lot is on the right side of the bar, whereas the pictures i took on Sunday are of the left side of the bar.

I also took pics of the signs in the lot that refer to towing. This is one of the most heavily towed areas in Charlotte. In fact, towing companies are literally engaging in predatory towing - lying in wait to swoop in and boot or tow a vehicle. I still can't believe her car sat there for two days without it being towed.

Lori59

09-21-2010, 07:30 PM

Her apartment... it does have a hot tub.

http://www.arboretumapts.net/

jcamille

09-21-2010, 07:36 PM

If they headed to her apt. it just seems to me she would have picked up her car.

Unless of course, she was too sick.

Aside from the hot tub reference ..has it been determined they ever went to her apt.?

I seem to remember that they said there was evidence that she had been there and that's why they searched her apt. and the woods surrounding.

The apt. was found with the door unlocked which is highly unusual for a woman, but it bolsters the possibility of her being too impaired to pay attention. Her friend would probably have known if Valerie's apt. complex had a hot tub, when she asked her to come over.

Would the Econo Lodge have a hot tub?

I really hope not. It's in such a low rent area that if it did have a hot tub, I wouldn't get in it.

I feel things went bad after the phone call at 3:00.

I do too. He probably started questioning her as to why she asked her friend to come over and she probably told him that she wanted him to leave or take her back to get her car or whatever, and that's when it went downhill.

dr dona

09-21-2010, 07:40 PM

guess we're going to have to wait and see how this plays out. Perhaps she did die of an OD. If she experimented just for the heck of it----she had been drinking and a dose of some drugs could result in loss of consciousness, vomiting and a fatal aspiration. And, u never know exactly what is in street drugs- potencies vary significantly. I just pray the ME and LE continue to do a thorough job and find out what caused her death. If the accused did not murder her but gave her drugs and also didn't call for help than he should be appropriately charged. Nothing will ever bring this lovely young woman back..I do sincerely pray for her family and all her friends. This young lady seemed to be loving, kind and talented. May time bring the family peace and healing.

jcamille

09-21-2010, 08:25 PM

The Charlotte Observer is reporting that there weren't any signs of physical murder on her body (strangulation, gunshot, stab wounds, etc.) but there were signs of drug use. Apparently Harvey is claiming that he didn't kill her, but she died of an overdose and then he hid the body, or something like that. It doesn't add up to me. Of course, it's giving the awful people who comment terrible things on news stories lots of new blame-the-victim fodder.

In the comments section of the Charlotte Observer story, this is posted....
this is a tragedy, but why is no one looking up ms. hamilton's past legal troubles? one quick query on www.charmeck.org indicates that she had a dwi in 2008.

We have villified him as a kidnapper, murderer and RSO/rapist. As more details come out, she may have had issues with drugs/alcohol. Certainly his behavior of hiding the body, fleeing, etc. hasn't helped him.

panthera

09-21-2010, 08:47 PM

Preliminary autopsy results released for Valerie Hamilton

Updated today at 7:27 PM
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Medical Examiner’s Office released a preliminary autopsy report for Valerie Hamilton late Tuesday afternoon.
Those results do not indicate any kind of physical trauma or specify a cause of death.

Michael Neal Harvey was arrested in New York on Monday in connection with Hamilton’s death. He appeared before a judge Tuesday afternoon.

While leaving court, Harvey told reporters he was not a murderer.

“This is not a murder,” Harvey said. “There’s no murder at all.”

He said he is not responsible for her death at all.

“She OD’ed in her sleep, you want to hear that? Harvey asked. “She OD’ed in her sleep, she overdosed in her sleep.”

Detectives are still waiting for results from toxicology tests and results of the sexual assault examination kit.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg homicide detectives say they spoke with a number of witnesses who reported seeing Hamilton with Harvey at the Thomas Street Tavern Wednesday night.

Homicide detectives report that they found evidence of drug use.

Witnesses told police that Hamilton appeared to need medical attention and some of those witnesses say they approached Harvey, telling him to take Hamilton to a medical professional.

Police say they believe Harvey moved Hamilton’s body to try to hide her death.

Detectives are still investigating the case to figure out exactly what happened the night Hamilton died and what, if any, charges should be filed.

more at http://www.wcnc.com/news/Preliminary-autopsy-results-released-in-Hamilton-death-103476779.html

It's hard to say the autopsy prelim doesn't put a different cast on things. My question now is: What drug were they doing that could have resulted in her death? And was the first time she ever did this drug? Did she do it voluntarily?

My thoughts are with her family and loved ones.

panthera

09-21-2010, 09:19 PM

It's hard to say the autopsy prelim doesn't put a different cast on things. My question now is: What drug were they doing that could have resulted in her death? And was the first time she ever did this drug? Did she do it voluntarily?

My thoughts are with her family and loved ones.
My understanding his drug of choice was heroin, so if there are indications of Valerie's drug use without the toxicology reports, I am inclined to think it may be the same. MOO

hoppyfrog

09-21-2010, 09:31 PM

Moving this thread to the Awaiting Trial forum.

Peliman

09-21-2010, 09:37 PM

Autopsy has me somewhat perplexed also but I must say this. Speaking for myself I will be hard pressed to believe she voluntarily took any drugs that may have caused her death.

Her friends report she was in training for a triathlon, that she despised drugs. She was a teacher in a swimming school and generally talked to her father a few times a day. She was in school to be a teacher. This is not the profile of a drug user.

When Harvey was arrested he reportedly had heroin paraphernalia around him and he was in a drugged state.

I'm stepping out on a limb and assuming he drugged her, that she wasn't willing. Either through drink as in date rape etc. I just can't imagine her being a willing party to heroin if that's what it turns out to be. A hair strand test should confirm any and all usage and I'll bet there is none from a previous past.

I suppose we all await the toxicology report but at this point I can't see her being a willing participant to a major drug. I actually expect her hair strand test to be clean.

JMO
jumping off da soapbox

jcamille

09-21-2010, 09:52 PM

Autopsy has me somewhat perplexed also but I must say this. Speaking for myself I will be hard pressed to believe she voluntarily took any drugs that may have caused her death.

I'm inclined to agree with you because I would hope that the swim school would drug test its instructors since they literally have the lives of little kids in their hands and they most certainly would do background checks.

I can't think of any business in N.C. where people work or volunteer with children, people with disabiliies or older adults don't have background checks/drug tests.

panthera

09-21-2010, 09:57 PM

Autopsy has me somewhat perplexed also but I must say this. Speaking for myself I will be hard pressed to believe she voluntarily took any drugs that may have caused her death.

Her friends report she was in training for a triathlon, that she despised drugs. She was a teacher in a swimming school and generally talked to her father a few times a day. She was in school to be a teacher. This is not the profile of a drug user.

When Harvey was arrested he reportedly had heroin paraphernalia around him and he was in a drugged state.

I'm stepping out on a limb and assuming he drugged her, that she wasn't willing. Either through drink as in date rape etc. I just can't imagine her being a willing party to heroin if that's what it turns out to be. A hair strand test should confirm any and all usage and I'll bet there is none from a previous past.

I suppose we all await the toxicology report but at this point I can't see her being a willing participant to a major drug. I actually expect her hair strand test to be clean.

JMO
jumping off da soapbox
I wonder if while in an unconscious state, she was injected with heroin as a cover up to make it appear she died of a self-inflicted overdose? Just speculation (and we do not know what the drug is without the tox report) as to how she could have "signs of drug use" without being the one who administered the drugs herself. :waitasec: MOO

yosande

09-21-2010, 10:29 PM

Here's the only scenario that I can come up with that has her going to all 3 locations with him (without taking her purse and keys - how did she get into her apt.?)

12:30-1:30 - they leave the bar together to continue the evening (no problem so far). Perhaps, they go to another bar or she says hey, there's a hot tub at my appt complex? Wanna go there? He says sure, but I need to swing by my house and get my swimsuit - I don't live far from here.

1:30ish -They take his car to his house. (10 min drive from Thomas St.)

(But why did she not take her car to her apt???)

Around 2:30 a.m. - they go to her apt. so she can change into her swimsuit (25-30 min drive from his house). She leaves door unlocked because the pool/hot tub is not that far from her apt. (I don't know this for a fact, just a scenario).

3 a.m. - They are in the hot tub - she calls her friend because she may be getting vibes that this guy is weird and if her friend comes over, he will leave.

3:30ish - As it's getting later, she tells him that she has to go get her car, he takes her back, she puts her keys and purse in the car and turns to say goodnight and
then he grabs her.

OR - she does take her car to her apt., but he drove it back to the parking lot near Thomas Street with her keys and purse in it to stage the scene.

I still don't know how she ends up at Econolodge, unless he took her there right after he kidnapped her.

Perhaps, just perhaps, the 20 year old friend is not being honest about the phone call.
I'm obviously not convinced she was at her apartment, or in a hot tub that night.
I wonder if he put something in her drink before she even left the bar.
That would explain the strange behavior of leaving her keys, purse, etc.

Was her cellphone found in her purse? If not then where was it found, anyone know? tia

belimom

09-21-2010, 10:36 PM

Just had a far out thought: did LE say they knew she had been to the hot tub? What if she did something like heroin for the first time and was really tripping, and they didn't go to the hot tub but she thought they were going to go (mistakenly or tripping)? I've never done heroin so I'm not sure of the effects, but I had morphine after a c-section and called people up from the hospital and said I had been scuba diving, was on an airplane, etc. HOWEVER, friends later said it was noticeable that my speech was slurred. Her friend didn't seem to think that at the time, I'm assuming.

What I don't get is - how do you go from being in such need of medical assistance that folks around you are urging medical help immediately, to being happy in a hot tub?!? There's a missing link here.

If she were a previous user of heroin, there would probably be needle tracks. I'm more inclined to think that she may have been a party girl but not a druggie. Either it is a cover up, or he already slipped her something else and she "consented" to heroin while already in a drugged state.

It really is a shame... I really feel for her family.

LolaMoon08

09-22-2010, 12:06 AM

I really didn't want to comment on this case until toxicology results came in, and I don't know this poor woman personally, but just because she didn't seem to be the "type" of person to voluntarily use drugs doesn't mean that she didn't. You would be surprised at the "type" of people who actually do use drugs and are very good at hiding it. I am leaning towards Valerie taking the drugs on her own free will.

That does not excuse the actions of the accused by any means. If he is the one who provided the drugs, then he will face charges for her death, but who provided him with the drugs? By all accounts it seems that he was a user and not a dealer? You wouldn't believe the stuff people lace these drugs with nowadays and there could be a lot of bad heroine (not that heroine isn't bad enough) going around.

I'm not blaming her. She didn't have to die. It sounds like she could have been saved had he gotten her the medical help that she obviously needed (WHY didn't those witnesses not call for help?). I just really, really hate drugs!! I have never used them, but I know of many who have and many who have died because of them. Now another young woman has lost her life and her poor father has to bury his child. Sad! Senseless!

P.S. Just in case it is heroine, it wouldn't mean that she had to of had track marks. I believe it can be smoked or snorted also? Correct me if I am wrong?

Truthful Lies

09-22-2010, 07:59 AM

FWIW, there's NO way I'd ever try a drug like that with a stranger (or at all, for that matter), but certainly not with someone I didn't trust. I smell a rat on this one. The posters who said she may have been drugged and then shot up are what's ringing truest to me. If she didn't even smoke weed (and I'm guessing she didn't), there's no way she'd just "graduate" to heroin all of a sudden.

less0305

09-22-2010, 09:14 AM

My thought on the hot tub call: Perhaps she felt things were getting out of control at his place or the motel and wanted to go home, but couldn't get him to take her home, so she tried to encourage him to take her home with a "two hot babes in the hot tub" type of invitation... You know, "hey, I bet my friend will meet us at the hot tub and we can have a really good time there," in hopes that once she got there and her friend got there she could get rid of him and be safer at the same time. Just a thought that ran through my head. I could see myself trying that - I can't convince you just to take me home, so let me sweeten the pot, while also getting reinforcements who I know will help me get rid of you.

big4dropout

09-22-2010, 11:04 AM

I really didn't want to comment on this case until toxicology results came in, and I don't know this poor woman personally, but just because she didn't seem to be the "type" of person to voluntarily use drugs doesn't mean that she didn't. You would be surprised at the "type" of people who actually do use drugs and are very good at hiding it. I am leaning towards Valerie taking the drugs on her own free will.

That does not excuse the actions of the accused by any means. If he is the one who provided the drugs, then he will face charges for her death, but who provided him with the drugs? By all accounts it seems that he was a user and not a dealer? You wouldn't believe the stuff people lace these drugs with nowadays and there could be a lot of bad heroine (not that heroine isn't bad enough) going around.

I'm not blaming her. She didn't have to die. It sounds like she could have been saved had he gotten her the medical help that she obviously needed (WHY didn't those witnesses not call for help?). I just really, really hate drugs!! I have never used them, but I know of many who have and many who have died because of them. Now another young woman has lost her life and her poor father has to bury his child. Sad! Senseless!

P.S. Just in case it is heroine, it wouldn't mean that she had to of had track marks. I believe it can be smoked or snorted also? Correct me if I am wrong?

I very much agree with this. I'm not much older than Valerie, and I know plenty of young people who do well in school or have a good job but they occasionally use recreational drugs. Not all drug users are homeless, constantly strung out, and committing crimes. I hate to use "responsible" and "drug use" in the same sentence, because really no drug use is "responsible," but there are plenty of people out there who occasionally use drugs without completely ruining their lives, at least they haven't ruined it yet. JMO.

It will be interesting to see what other evidence comes to light.

BTW, one article I read (it's already been linked here but I have forgotten which one) said that one of Harvey's drug charges was related to selling counterfeit drugs, so it's not too much of a stretch to say that maybe Hamilton willingly partook in some of his drugs not realizing it was laced with something dangerous.

trigger

09-22-2010, 12:28 PM

Perhaps, just perhaps, the 20 year old friend is not being honest about the phone call.
I'm obviously not convinced she was at her apartment, or in a hot tub that night.
I wonder if he put something in her drink before she even left the bar.
That would explain the strange behavior of leaving her keys, purse, etc.

Was her cellphone found in her purse? If not then where was it found, anyone know? tia

LE never mentioned they found her cell phone. But I'm wondering if HE sent her friend a text message at 3am inviting her to come over from her cell. I think she was already dead at that time.

Bratislava

09-22-2010, 01:45 PM

On Tuesday, Harvey made his first appearance in court. As he was being escorted into the courthouse, Harvey told WIVB Reporter George Richert that he is innocent and that Hamilton overdosed on heroin.

Richert told WBTV that Harvey claims he and Hamilton did some black tar heroin the night they left the bar, and when he woke up, he claims she was dead.

Police are still awaiting toxicology results and the results of the sexual assault examination kit.

http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13198213

krazyfingerzz

09-22-2010, 01:48 PM

FWIW, there's NO way I'd ever try a drug like that with a stranger (or at all, for that matter), but certainly not with someone I didn't trust. I smell a rat on this one. The posters who said she may have been drugged and then shot up are what's ringing truest to me. If she didn't even smoke weed (and I'm guessing she didn't), there's no way she'd just "graduate" to heroin all of a sudden.

I agree but I wanted to add a few things. Like many, I was an excellent student, the apple of my dad's eye, and I did many things they knew (thankfully) nothing about. I made a lot of trips across the country seeing the Dead, and had friends from all walks of life. I, and some of those friends, experimented with drugs, and my best friend and roomie in college, now a respectable lawyer, had a heroin problem you'd never have suspected. I preferred stimulants. Either way, no track marks and no one knew (I didn't know about my bff, and I'm not naive, nor was I then).

I never partied with strangers, early on, because I knew you couldn't trust what might happen or what they might slip you. Over time, I was less cautious. Friends owned a club called Wetlands in the City. One night, a really creepy guy we knew as Rockman offered me a joint. I ended up spending the night locked in a bathroom stall. I couldn't see, literally, and while I didn't know what was happening, I knew I couldn't leave that bathroom. I have no idea what it was (pcp?) but it was bad as I am sure his intentions were. It reminded me how dangerous the world could be. I look back often, and am amazed that my disregard for safety or even simple thought didn't get me killed.

Another friend in VA was not so lucky. I think she was working as a dancer, early 90s, and one night, her birthday, she went back to the apartment of strangers (some guys and girls). They asked if she wanted to do a line of coke for her birthday, and she did. Except it wasn't coke, but heroin, and she'd done a big line. When they had her drugged, they (all) raped her. I guess they got into a car, which crashed as she fought. I recall finding reports in the paper after she told me (I was horrified after the call and didn't want to believe what I had heard). I insisted that she report it, but I'm not sure she did. We drifted apart after that, her living so far away, and me having moved on to a different life. I was worried, too, that she'd end up dead. (I looked her up on FB a while ago and was happy to see that her profile says she's married, and a parent, so I guess she made it!)

The point is, that sort of innocent risk may have been what happened. It doesn't make Valerie a bad person, nor is she different than many people at that age. The guy may not have tried to trick her, but he sure didn't help her when she needed it. Any of those people who told him to get her help are just as guilty. Her dad said that he knew his daughter made mistakes and hoped people would learn from this. Stranger danger doesn't end with childhood. It's more important the older one gets, because more choices are presented, not all good, and things like drinking impair judgement. I feel for her family, and the waste of the years Valerie lost. Ultimately, whatever the circumstances, accident or not, trusting a stranger is what it comes down to, with a senseless, tragic result.

LolaMoon08

09-22-2010, 02:34 PM

I agree but I wanted to add a few things. Like many, I was an excellent student, the apple of my dad's eye, and I did many things they knew (thankfully) nothing about. I made a lot of trips across the country seeing the Dead, and had friends from all walks of life. I, and some of those friends, experimented with drugs, and my best friend and roomie in college, now a respectable lawyer, had a heroin problem you'd never have suspected. I preferred stimulants. Either way, no track marks and no one knew (I didn't know about my bff, and I'm not naive, nor was I then).

I never partied with strangers, early on, because I knew you couldn't trust what might happen or what they might slip you. Over time, I was less cautious. Friends owned a club called Wetlands in the City. One night, a really creepy guy we knew as Rockman offered me a joint. I ended up spending the night locked in a bathroom stall. I couldn't see, literally, and while I didn't know what was happening, I knew I couldn't leave that bathroom. I have no idea what it was (pcp?) but it was bad as I am sure his intentions were. It reminded me how dangerous the world could be. I look back often, and am amazed that my disregard for safety or even simple thought didn't get me killed.

Another friend in VA was not so lucky. I think she was working as a dancer, early 90s, and one night, her birthday, she went back to the apartment of strangers (some guys and girls). They asked if she wanted to do a line of coke for her birthday, and she did. Except it wasn't coke, but heroin, and she'd done a big line. When they had her drugged, they (all) raped her. I guess they got into a car, which crashed as she fought. I recall finding reports in the paper after she told me (I was horrified after the call and didn't want to believe what I had heard). I insisted that she report it, but I'm not sure she did. We drifted apart after that, her living so far away, and me having moved on to a different life. I was worried, too, that she'd end up dead. (I looked her up on FB a while ago and was happy to see that her profile says she's married, and a parent, so I guess she made it!)

The point is, that sort of innocent risk may have been what happened. It doesn't make Valerie a bad person, nor is she different than many people at that age. The guy may not have tried to trick her, but he sure didn't help her when she needed it. Any of those people who told him to get her help are just as guilty. Her dad said that he knew his daughter made mistakes and hoped people would learn from this. Stranger danger doesn't end with childhood. It's more important the older one gets, because more choices are presented, not all good, and things like drinking impair judgement. I feel for her family, and the waste of the years Valerie lost. Ultimately, whatever the circumstances, accident or not, trusting a stranger is what it comes down to, with a senseless, tragic result.

The thanks button wasn't quite enough for this wonderful post.

Truthful Lies

09-22-2010, 02:41 PM

Here's an idea: what if he drugged her with GHB (read on this link that it can be used to "enhance" a heroin high - so he may have already had it with him) and then injected her with heroin after she died? He may have hidden the body so that the GHB would be undetectable by the time they found her and he could use the "I panicked" approach and only be charged for involuntary manslaughter or concealment. Hm.

http://www.k-state.edu/media/webzine/Didyouhearyes/GHBfacts.html

Bratislava

09-22-2010, 03:33 PM

Here's an idea: what if he drugged her with GHB (read on this link that it can be used to "enhance" a heroin high - so he may have already had it with him) and then injected her with heroin after she died? He may have hidden the body so that the GHB would be undetectable by the time they found her and he could use the "I panicked" approach and only be charged for involuntary manslaughter or concealment. Hm.

http://www.k-state.edu/media/webzine/Didyouhearyes/GHBfacts.html

It's a possibility, and it does seem strange that she would agree to try HEROIN, which is a pretty hardcore drug, not the average experimental drug users dabble-type of drug. The fact that GHB dissolves so quickly is unfortunate, since it means we might not get an answer on this. They would have to find GHB in his possession at least...

jcamille

09-22-2010, 04:33 PM

J I've never done heroin so I'm not sure of the effects, but I had morphine after a c-section and called people up from the hospital and said I had been scuba diving, was on an airplane, etc. HOWEVER, friends later said it was noticeable that my speech was slurred.

I had percocet after oral surgery. I lived at the beach and there was a storm going on with the wind howling. In my drugged semi-conscious state, I called 911 and told them that my building was haunted and that was why the apt. must have been so cheap.

krazyfingerzz

09-22-2010, 05:15 PM

FWIW, there's NO way I'd ever try a drug like that with a stranger (or at all, for that matter), but certainly not with someone I didn't trust. I smell a rat on this one. The posters who said she may have been drugged and then shot up are what's ringing truest to me. If she didn't even smoke weed (and I'm guessing she didn't), there's no way she'd just "graduate" to heroin all of a sudden.

In all my retrospection, I forgot to say what my original thought was :0) You are right. Anyone thinking back to their own experiences and experimentation knows that shooting up with a total stranger wouldn't happen. That is such an extreme and it's not recreational. She just simply wasn't like that, plain and simple. If they find a single needle mark on her, accident is not an option, but homicide is.

trigger

09-22-2010, 07:08 PM

I had percocet after oral surgery. I lived at the beach and there was a storm going on with the wind howling. In my drugged semi-conscious state, I called 911 and told them that my building was haunted and that was why the apt. must have been so cheap.

:laughitup::laughitup:

trigger

09-22-2010, 07:37 PM

Its was just on JVM

ME found no signs of trauma and LE admitted of finding drug use.
Can this druggie MH be let off the hook?
MH said she died in her sleep.
Took black tar heroin together.
Can they prosecute him for murder? Panel says it will be very hard,
especially if they find no evidence of physical harm on her body. Sexual assault wil be hard to prove. Shes no longer here.
But will investigate if he had given her drugs, might get lesser charge.
Pat Brown says she left with him on her own accord, also how did she sound wil she made the call to her GF. Will find out what was truly in her life before this happen.
Dr Dale Archer-If they find one needle mark on her arm will show this was the first time she did it-he can be held responsible. Also he should have called 911 it would have saved her.

Im not buying his story. I get 911 calls all the time asking for help, that their friend has od'd, there turning blue or had stopped breathing. Hes a LIAR. But thats just MOO.

panthera

09-22-2010, 08:22 PM

Harvey extradition to Charlotte could be delayed

Charlotte police may face an additional hurtle in the investigation into Valerie Hamilton's death, as the man accused of murdering her is still in New York and said to be going through severe drug withdrawal.

Those withdrawal symptoms will likely delay 34-year-old Michael Harvey’s return to Charlotte, where he will face charges in connection with Hamilton’s death.

The NBC affiliate station in Buffalo, New York is reporting that Harvey may not be transported from Niagara County to Charlotte until this weekend.

Hamilton's body was found in a storage unit on Monroe Road this past Saturday.

She had last been seen leaving the Thomas Street Tavern with a man police believe was Harvey in the early morning hours of Wednesday, September 15.

A preliminary autopsy revealed that there was evidence of drug usage, but did not say what kind of drugs were used or who used them.

On Tuesday, Harvey told reporters at his extradition hearing in New York that Hamilton died as a result of an overdose and that police were wrong when they charged him with murder.

Here's an idea: what if he drugged her with GHB (read on this link that it can be used to "enhance" a heroin high - so he may have already had it with him) and then injected her with heroin after she died? He may have hidden the body so that the GHB would be undetectable by the time they found her and he could use the "I panicked" approach and only be charged for involuntary manslaughter or concealment. Hm.

http://www.k-state.edu/media/webzine/Didyouhearyes/GHBfacts.html
If she were already dead when injected, am I correct that the heroin wouldn't be in her bloodstream either? :waitasec:

Truthful Lies

09-23-2010, 12:11 AM

If she were already dead when injected, am I correct that the heroin wouldn't be in her bloodstream either? :waitasec:

Pardon...I meant to imply that perhaps she was close to death..:( It has been a long day...I re-read my post, and you are absolutely correct.

Angels_Not_Forgotten

09-23-2010, 06:57 PM

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/25105644/detail.html

There are some very odd comments at the bottom...not really sure what to think...just wanted to share.

Truthful Lies

09-23-2010, 07:00 PM

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/25105644/detail.html

There are some very odd comments at the bottom...not really sure what to think...just wanted to share.

Thank you for posting this article....I'm going to read the comments after dinner and comment - thank you.

Hucklepie

09-23-2010, 08:24 PM

I'm torn on what to believe. Right now I tend to think that she was doing some sort of drugs semi-regularly, but maybe hadn't tried heroin until the night she died. I'm a teacher and know quite a few fellow teachers who smoke pot regularly, along with dabbling in drugs like cocaine and ecstasy on occasion. Those I can see being easier to hide from your family than a habit like heroin. At the same time, I can see the point of the person who commented on the article saying something like "What are her friends supposed to say? 'Overdosed in a stranger's bed, yeah, that sounds like Valerie'?" I would rather believe that she decided to try heroin on a lark and met this kind of ending than discover that she had been doing it all along... although neither possibility is very attractive.

panthera

09-23-2010, 08:39 PM

Pardon...I meant to imply that perhaps she was close to death..:( It has been a long day...I re-read my post, and you are absolutely correct.
It's quite ok ~ I have days like that too and I honestly meant it as a question. :)

panthera

09-23-2010, 08:56 PM

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/25105644/detail.html

There are some very odd comments at the bottom...not really sure what to think...just wanted to share.
Very interesting indeed. The comments by friends included in the article when taken with the other ones almost sound like they're describing two different people. Very sad any way you look at it, imo. MOO

jcamille

09-23-2010, 11:11 PM

WSOC-TV just reported on their 11 p.m. news that Valerie actually called her friend at 3 a.m. - it was not a text. Her friend was interviewed and said that Valerie did not sound drunk, drugged or sick, but that she got the impression that something was slightly odd about her asking her to come over to her apt. and get in the hot tub.

WSOC-TV also reported that Harvey checked into the Econolodge at 4:22 a.m. so that is a little more we can use to fill in the timeline.

The TV station also had an interview with her father (the police chief) and he said that knowing what he knows now, he does not believe that Harvey murdered his daughter. He said that he knows the law and that what happened does not fit the definition of murder, but he feels that had she not been with Harvey that night that she would still be alive. (Very interesting).

Lori59

09-24-2010, 08:59 AM

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- For the first time since Charlotte-Mecklenburg police confirmed there was evidence of drug use in his Valerie Hamilton's death, her father, the Concord police chief, is speaking out.

"If I wasn't in law enforcement I would probably say he killed my daughter. But because I know killed means murder, you know, first degree murder, I don't know. I don't know enough about it to say that," Merl Hamilton said. "I think if he wasn't with my daughter that night she would be alive."

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/25138798/detail.html

belimom

09-24-2010, 02:49 PM

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- For the first time since Charlotte-Mecklenburg police confirmed there was evidence of drug use in his Valerie Hamilton's death, her father, the Concord police chief, is speaking out.

"If I wasn't in law enforcement I would probably say he killed my daughter. But because I know killed means murder, you know, first degree murder, I don't know. I don't know enough about it to say that," Merl Hamilton said. "I think if he wasn't with my daughter that night she would be alive."

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/25138798/detail.html

Wow... I believe she would still be alive if he had not been with her, too. I think he's responsible for her death but not sure what charges. Negligable homicide/manslaughter? :waitasec:

Wow... I believe she would still be alive if he had not been with her, too. I think he's responsible for her death but not sure what charges. Negligable homicide/manslaughter? :waitasec:
I think the whole situation is just tragic and that young women really need to always have friends together when they go out...and not solo.

jcamille

09-24-2010, 08:20 PM

I'm still having issues with the timeline....

Here's what we know...

Between 12:30-1:30 a.m. - They left Thomas Street Tavern. It's a 10 minute drive to his house.

1:30ish -2:30 a.m.? unaccounted for - His roommates said that they were at his house (doing things?) when the roommate got home and so they left. Roommate said he was going to take her to get medical attention. (we do not know what time this occurred).

Police said that 'alot of people' saw them that night and said she was very sick (alot of people where? TST? his house? her apt or Econolodge?)

Instead, they apparently went to her apt. (police said there was evidence that they had been to her apt.)

2:30 - 3 a.m.? It would take 20-30 minutes to drive from his house to her apt. She had to be coherent enough to give him directions unless he had been there previously.

At 3:12 a.m. - She calls her friend and asks her friend to come join her and her friend in her apt's hot tub. Friend says she doesn't sound drunk, drugged or sick.

They left her apt. and left the door unlocked. (If her keys were found in her car, did they go back by her car? If not, how did they get into her apt.? Perhaps they got maintenance to let them in because she didn't have her keys and that would be why she or he didn't lock the apt. door when they left or they were both too wasted to notice they didn't lock it.

I wonder if the heat from the hot tub, combined with the drugs and alcohol made her pass out or go into convulsions or seizures and there were other people at her apt. complex who saw them and said she needs immediate medical attention.

From her apt. to Econolodge is a 20 minute drive at that time of night.

Why didn't they stay at her apt.? Why go check into a cheap motel?

I think he took her from the apt. because people saw them and said that she needed immediate medical attention and he had to put her in the car to pretend that he was taking her to the hospital.

Knowing he couldn't take he to the hospital because he would get into trouble (again) for drugs, he drove around with her. I think she died in his car. He couldn't go back to his house with her because his roommates were there, so he ended up at the Econolodge.

4:00 a.m. - 4:20 a.m.- They travel to the Econolodge. Police said there was evidence that she was at the Econolodge.

4:22 a.m. - He checks into the Econolodge. She is dying or already dead by then. He wraps her up in Econolodge comforter and takes her to mini storage later that day.

Any other thoughts?

panthera

09-24-2010, 09:51 PM

I'm still having issues with the timeline....

Here's what we know...

Between 12:30-1:30 a.m. - They left Thomas Street Tavern. It's a 10 minute drive to his house.

1:30ish -2:30 a.m.? unaccounted for - His roommates said that they were at his house (doing things?) when the roommate got home and so they left. Roommate said he was going to take her to get medical attention. (we do not know what time this occurred).

Police said that 'alot of people' saw them that night and said she was very sick (alot of people where? TST? his house? her apt or Econolodge?)

Instead, they apparently went to her apt. (police said there was evidence that they had been to her apt.)

2:30 - 3 a.m.? It would take 20-30 minutes to drive from his house to her apt. She had to be coherent enough to give him directions unless he had been there previously.

At 3:12 a.m. - She calls her friend and asks her friend to come join her and her friend in her apt's hot tub. Friend says she doesn't sound drunk, drugged or sick.

They left her apt. and left the door unlocked. (If her keys were found in her car, did they go back by her car? If not, how did they get into her apt.? Perhaps they got maintenance to let them in because she didn't have her keys and that would be why she or he didn't lock the apt. door when they left or they were both too wasted to notice they didn't lock it.

I wonder if the heat from the hot tub, combined with the drugs and alcohol made her pass out or go into convulsions or seizures and there were other people at her apt. complex who saw them and said she needs immediate medical attention.

From her apt. to Econolodge is a 20 minute drive at that time of night.

Why didn't they stay at her apt.? Why go check into a cheap motel?

I think he took her from the apt. because people saw them and said that she needed immediate medical attention and he had to put her in the car to pretend that he was taking her to the hospital.

Knowing he couldn't take he to the hospital because he would get into trouble (again) for drugs, he drove around with her. I think she died in his car. He couldn't go back to his house with her because his roommates were there, so he ended up at the Econolodge.

4:00 a.m. - 4:20 a.m.- They travel to the Econolodge. Police said there was evidence that she was at the Econolodge.

4:22 a.m. - He checks into the Econolodge. She is dying or already dead by then. He wraps her up in Econolodge comforter and takes her to mini storage later that day.

Any other thoughts?
Thank you for the timeline!

Regarding what I have highlighted in 'blue' - I doubt they would've gotten maintenance to open the apartment at that hour of the early morning, even if the complex has a 24 hour staff. It's possible the keys and purse were put back in her car afterward since it wasn't too far from the storage unit she was found in. At that time he also could've been thinking if they were found in the car it would look like she was snatched from there after he'd dropped her off. As to the hot tub, I agree, if she had taken drugs, combined with the alcohol consumed at the bar, she could have gone into convulsions, seized, vomited, etc. and died. I believe there was forensic evidence in his car and therefore the reason for the burned-out interior when the vehicle was found in New York. As for him renting the motel room, it was probably for him to figure out what to do with her body, and he decided on the storage unit before leaving for New York. MOO

panthera

09-24-2010, 09:57 PM

I think the whole situation is just tragic and that young women really need to always have friends together when they go out...and not solo.
The friends she was with at the Tavern initially said it appeared Valerie knew Harvey, but they didn't know him and it seems Valerie stayed after they left (I'm still not clear on what time they left the Tavern). What I'm still not clear on either is how well did Valerie know Harvey, and if the implied drug use is to be believed, could that be the "connection" between the two of them? :waitasec: MOO

Lori59

09-24-2010, 10:27 PM

I'm still having issues with the timeline....

Here's what we know...

Between 12:30-1:30 a.m. - They left Thomas Street Tavern. It's a 10 minute drive to his house.

1:30ish -2:30 a.m.? unaccounted for - His roommates said that they were at his house (doing things?) when the roommate got home and so they left. Roommate said he was going to take her to get medical attention. (we do not know what time this occurred).

Police said that 'alot of people' saw them that night and said she was very sick (alot of people where? TST? his house? her apt or Econolodge?)

Instead, they apparently went to her apt. (police said there was evidence that they had been to her apt.)

2:30 - 3 a.m.? It would take 20-30 minutes to drive from his house to her apt. She had to be coherent enough to give him directions unless he had been there previously.

At 3:12 a.m. - She calls her friend and asks her friend to come join her and her friend in her apt's hot tub. Friend says she doesn't sound drunk, drugged or sick.

They left her apt. and left the door unlocked. (If her keys were found in her car, did they go back by her car? If not, how did they get into her apt.? Perhaps they got maintenance to let them in because she didn't have her keys and that would be why she or he didn't lock the apt. door when they left or they were both too wasted to notice they didn't lock it.

I wonder if the heat from the hot tub, combined with the drugs and alcohol made her pass out or go into convulsions or seizures and there were other people at her apt. complex who saw them and said she needs immediate medical attention.

From her apt. to Econolodge is a 20 minute drive at that time of night.

Why didn't they stay at her apt.? Why go check into a cheap motel?

I think he took her from the apt. because people saw them and said that she needed immediate medical attention and he had to put her in the car to pretend that he was taking her to the hospital.

Knowing he couldn't take he to the hospital because he would get into trouble (again) for drugs, he drove around with her. I think she died in his car. He couldn't go back to his house with her because his roommates were there, so he ended up at the Econolodge.

4:00 a.m. - 4:20 a.m.- They travel to the Econolodge. Police said there was evidence that she was at the Econolodge.

4:22 a.m. - He checks into the Econolodge. She is dying or already dead by then. He wraps her up in Econolodge comforter and takes her to mini storage later that day.

Any other thoughts?

Great recap....I agree with your thinking that they left his house and headed to her place. Still confuse about her keys being left in her car. I am thinking that they then left her apt. and if indeed he was heading to a hospital, she may have died during that time. I think that is when he went to the storage unit. With him checking into the Econo at 4:22, it would give him enough time to drive to and hide her at the storage unit. I can't seeing him getting her into the Econo..... I think the room was on the 3rd floor. Therefore, I also think she died in the car, which would also explain him burning the car. I'm sure if she was sick and dying in that car, there was a lot of evidence. Horrible to even think about really.

jcamille

09-25-2010, 08:07 AM

Thank you for the timeline!

It's possible the keys and purse were put back in her car afterward since it wasn't too far from the storage unit she was found in. At that time he also could've been thinking if they were found in the car it would look like she was snatched from there after he'd dropped her off. MOO

I think he took her keys and purse back to the car as well to stage the scene to make it look like a kidnapping. However, he didn't count on all the video cameras in the area.

How I wish we could see the surveillance footage from those cameras!

panthera

09-25-2010, 02:51 PM

I think he took her keys and purse back to the car as well to stage the scene to make it look like a kidnapping. However, he didn't count on all the video cameras in the area.

How I wish we could see the surveillance footage from those cameras!
Oh I wish we could also. I'm waiting to see just what he's going to finally be charged with.

jcamille

09-25-2010, 04:19 PM

Oh I wish we could also. I'm waiting to see just what he's going to finally be charged with.

The charges will be interesting.

There is no law in N.C. that says you have to be a "good samaritan" - i.e. help someone who needs medical attention.

Unless they can prove that he drugged her without her consent, I can't see any charges being brought against him related to her death. But, if the drug use was consensual and she died from a drug overdose or a combination of drug/alcohol overdose, I don't think there are any charges they can bring against him related to her death.

Plus, let's say the rape kit comes back with his DNA found on her. It would be hard for him to be charged with raping her because she left with him willingly, went to his house with him, went to her apt. with him, apparently drank and did drugs with him - all voluntarily.

Now, I can see charges for improper disposal of a body (or whatever the term may be), concealing a death, hindering an investigation, using a controlled substance, unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, and auto theft (since his car was stolen). So, he'll be going to jail, but I don't think it will be for kidnapping, rape, murder, manslaughter or negligent homicide.

panthera

09-25-2010, 04:46 PM

The charges will be interesting.

There is no law in N.C. that says you have to be a "good samaritan" - i.e. help someone who needs medical attention.

Unless they can prove that he drugged her without her consent, I can't see any charges being brought against him related to her death. But, if the drug use was consensual and she died from a drug overdose or a combination of drug/alcohol overdose, I don't think there are any charges they can bring against him related to her death.

Plus, let's say the rape kit comes back with his DNA found on her. It would be hard for him to be charged with raping her because she left with him willingly, went to his house with him, went to her apt. with him, apparently drank and did drugs with him - all voluntarily.

Now, I can see charges for improper disposal of a body (or whatever the term may be), concealing a death, hindering an investigation, using a controlled substance, unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, and auto theft (since his car was stolen). So, he'll be going to jail, but I don't think it will be for kidnapping, rape, murder, manslaughter or negligent homicide.
Again, I agree. What I'm most interested in knowing is what symptoms did Valerie have that others thought she needed immediate medical attention. And I'm still not clear on just who these "witnesses" are. :waitasec: MOO

jcamille

09-29-2010, 06:33 PM

Search warrants for Harvey's home, the storag unit and Valerie's apt. are posted online and they reveal some interesting news.

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/25214360/detail.html

WSOC-TV also reported some new information tonight. They reported that one of Harvey's roommates rented the storage unit for him about 2-3 months ago. He couldn't rent it himself because he did not have valid identification. The roommate is the one who told the police about the storage unit and that's where they found her body.

The news also reported that Harvey at some point went back to his house and cleaned his room, the kitchen, the counter tops, his bedding, etc. Another roommate said he never cleans and that he was was acting nervous and strange when he came back to the house.

At his house, the police recovered drug paraphernalia commonly used to take or sell heroine and cocaine. They also found gun-related items.

At her apt., the police found a stun gun and white powder and straws.
In my opinion, she knew him before that night and that drugs are the common denominator.

Apparently, he has not been extradited yet to Charlotte and he is still in N.Y.

jcamille

09-29-2010, 07:22 PM

More information from the search warrants:

Around 2 a.m., one of his roommates saw Valerie lying on the bed in his room and her eyes were glazed over. The roommate told him she needed immediate medical attention and he helped Harvey carry her to his truck. Another roommate (their were six people living in the house he lived in), saw Valerie slumped over in his truck.

I don't get how she can go from being in this condition to making a coherent phone call to a friend an hour later.

Another of Harvey's roommates wasn't home because she had overdosed earlier in the evening and was in the hospital.

Yet another roommate said that Harvey met Valerie in rehab and Harvey was a well-known drug user/dealer.

There were telephone calls between his cell phone and her phone, prior to them meeting up at Thomas Street Tavern.

Roommates also said that he came and went from the house between Wednesday night and Friday, but did not spend the night at his house either night. Then, when he found out that police had been there looking for him, they never saw him again.

Bratislava

09-29-2010, 11:17 PM

Very helpful jcamille. I put what I found interesting in the search warrants in bold below, followed by the reason this could be of interest.
FROM THE SEARCH WARRANT FOR VALERIE'S APT.

"Fosters advised that Hamilton never leaves her doors unlocked unless she is expecting company or is at the pool."
I think that the last place Valerie was conscious might have been at the hot tub or pool. Maybe he put her in the car to try to get her medical help and things went downhill from there so he freaked out and tried to cover it up.

The police seized white powder and straws from Valerie's apartment.
IMO it would make sense for so much to be left behind if Valerie believed she would return to her apartment that night. But it looks like no one did return to clean up. Is this because the hot tub was the last place Valerie was conscious and Harvey had to carry her to his car? Is this the point at which she started to require his complete attention?

FROM THE SEARCH WARRANT FOR HARVEY'S RENTAL HOME

Harvey was the last person to call her and "make contact with her.
She did know him. And speak to him for brief periods of time during those two calls.

One of the roommates said Harvey told him he was going to meet with "a friend he had been to rehab with" at the Tavern.
She did know him. And she met him in rehab.

A female roomate overdosed on heroin that night and was at the hospital.
This heroin was strong stuff, possibly laced with PCP or other toxic substance?

teedie2

09-30-2010, 03:42 AM

Her poor dad. Grieving already, and learning a lot more that he might not have known about his daughter.

It is hazardous to your sanity nowadays to raise children. They can pull your heart right out of your chest, the things they do and try to do. I was lucky to be in what was probably the last generation of young people who didn't know about drugs, just booze.

Sorry that Valerie's life ended as it did. Too much bad stuff out there, too many opportunities.

jcamille

09-30-2010, 10:02 PM

Her poor dad. Grieving already, and learning a lot more that he might not have known about his daughter.

He knew. Early on, he said that he was worried that his daughter's personal life would be splashed across the news, but that she was "perfect" in his eyes.

If she had been in rehab, he knew. She had a previous DUI - he had to have known.

She obviously had substance abuse issues.

While I think it's admirable that her job was teaching little kids how to swim, I am also troubled by the idea that she had drug issues and was responsible for the lives of little kids in a pool. I can't imagine that the swim school didn't do background checks and regular drug tests on its employees before entrusting the lives of children to them.

I don't need to speak negatively about someone who is dead, but from everything we know now, the circumstances surrounding her life and death are vastly different than what we original thought they were.

teedie2

09-30-2010, 10:45 PM

Yes, I know he had to know a lot, but perhaps he didn't know the full extent of what she was doing currently, she probably wasn't being really very open about it. I'm sorry this happened, anyway.

Lori59

10-05-2010, 06:06 PM

Michael Harvey, who was arrested in connection with the death of the Concord Police Chief's daughter, is headed back to Charlotte after three weeks in a New York Jail.

Harvey appeared on four prior charges; possession of a firearm by a felon, probation violation, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession with intent to distribute.
Harvey also now faces counterfeit charges because the substance he had that resulted in intent to distribute charges was actually fake.
During the court appearance it was revealed that Harvey told officers he uses heroin regularly, about two grams a day, although sometimes he’ll use three to four grams of heroin a day. The state also said that Harvey told officers he used on September 14, the last time Valerie Hamilton was seen alive.

He's charged with killing the Concord police chief's daughter, Valerie Hamilton, in September. The state said Harvey admitted to officers he regularly used heroin and did so on September 14, the day before Hamilton went missing.

"The indictment basically has to demonstrate that he was convicted of three prior felonies,” said Mindy Sanchez, of the Charlotte School of Law. “That's how you get habitual felon status. The purpose of them doing that is to elongate his incarceration term."

Harvey will be back in court Monday.

He faces an additional breaking and entering charge and two counts of felony probation violation. Both are unrelated to the Hamilton murder charge.

The bolding is mine. It looks like the murder charges are going to stand.
If he injected her with heroin or any other drug, and she died, I can understand the murder charge. It likely will be up to a jury to decide if it is anything less. He also failed to seek medical assistance, and instead, after she died, stuffed her body in a storage locker. Not the actions of someone totally innocent, imo. MOO

jcamille

10-25-2010, 08:59 PM

Harvey had a court date today and he was indicted on the murder charge.

Be sure to read the comments underneath the article. They are interesting and allege that she had a long history of drug use.

jcamille

01-20-2011, 09:11 PM

An article in The Charlotte Observer today said that Valerie's father spoke to a group of school students today about making good decisions.

He said that when Valerie's autopsy results are released that they "may" show that she died from an overdose of heroin and cocaine, and that the results "may" show that there was a needle mark on her right arm.

However, he said that she is right handed and does not believe she could have injected herself with her left hand.

I have trouble believing that any jury will convict Harvey for murder in any degree or even manslaughter.

Valerie Hamilton died from a drug overdose, according to an autopsy report released Friday by the Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner's Office.

The autopsy sites "combined heroin and cocaine toxicity" as the cause of death.

Hamilton, the 23-year-old daughter of Concord Police Chief Merl Hamilton, was found dead in a mini-storage unit on Monroe Road in September after she was missing for days.

Michael Harvey is charged with murder in connection with her death.

The autopsy notes that the medical examiner found a fresh needle puncture in Hamilton's arm, but no other evidence of trauma to her body.
http://www.wcnc.com/news/local/Autopsy-Valerie-Hamilton-died-from-drug-overdose-114383019.html

Based upon the results in the Autopsy Report, I doubt he would be convicted of murder. The other charge, concealing a death, is good, however, as well as maybe a lesser charge if he indeed supplied her with a lethal amount of drugs. MOO

BOZGAL

01-28-2011, 05:27 PM

Personally I find a plea deal repulsive.
I believe he put something in her drink and then left with her.
No telling how much he injected her.
There are witnesses who saw her and said she needed medical attention.
At the very least he could have called 911 and left her house.
My heart breaks for our Police Chief and family. :cry: